Ripples in Time
by padfootsrevenger
Summary: Harry is victorious and Voldemort is gone, but not all is as it should be. Thrown into the past Harry takes on the role of James Potter’s long lost cousin and attempts to do the one thing Hermione always warned him about. Is this a second chance or curse?
1. Chapter 1

"So, Potter, we come to the end…" A cold voice hissed in his ear as he lay prone on the cold dungeon floor.

He could barely move from his stiffness and pain. He had been a 'guest' of the Dark Lord for nearly a month now. Each day was filled with torture sessions, both physically and mentally. When the Death Eaters were finished with his 'lessons' for the day Dementors, took their place outside his door to fill his thoughts with terror and turmoil.

Harry shifted on the floor a bit, causing his muscles to protest the movements. His shirt tore at his back as the movement caused the skin to break free from the caked blood.

Biting his lip, he refused to make a sound and give the bastard pleasure in his pain. The only thing that kept him sane was the knowledge that _he_ had to kill Voldemort. Everything in his life went back to one thing; the prophecy.

He wished that Trelawney had died before she ever had the chance to speak those hated words. Prophetic words which had ruined his life. Words that had caused Voldemort to take an interest in his family, the words that were the cause of his suffering; binding despicable words that _he_ had to fulfil before he could join his family and friends in peace.

Voldemort leaned forward and grabbed a fistful of the boy's hair giving it a sharp twist. "Potter, get to your feet and stand like a man. Surely a little time as my guest hasn't broken you of your foolish ways."

The Dark Lord smiled sadistically as the battered teen started to haul himself to his feet. As he did so, Voldemort fingered his wand lovingly. The cause of all his troubles would soon be dead, and the wizarding world would be his. He had secretly hoped that the boy would break and join his forces, together none would be able to stand in their way, but alas the boy just would not give in. In a way he highly respected the boy's loyalty to his beliefs no matter how foolish and idiotic they were. However, the boy would always be a thorn in the Dark Lord's side, and therefore must die. Pity really, such power lost because he was too blind to use it.

Harry leaned against the wall for balance as he got to his feet and turned to face Voldemort. He knew that this was it; this would be the final battle, a battle that he would never truly be prepared for.

"So, Riddle, this is how you are going to beat your greatest enemy? Kill them while they haven't a wand? Are you afraid that you'll be on the losing end even after I've been tortured for nearly a month now?" Harry asked mockingly, his fists clenched at his sides. As far as he was concerned Voldemort was nothing but a cold blooded killer. The attack in which he was captured, Voldemort and his minions killed many helpless children, many who couldn't even make a simple shield.

"Now, now, Harry, is that any way to talk to your host? Perhaps you need a lesson in manners hmmm?" Voldemort replied in a silky voice as he raised his wand. "Crucio!"

The Boy-Who-Lived fell to the ground in extreme pain. Slowly blood began to ooze from his nose as the curse was held. In spite of the pain the teen didn't utter a sound, much to the Dark Lord's annoyance.

Voldemort lifted the curse and stared down in disgust at the panting boy. "Now, _Harry_, to answer your cheek…You will get a wand when we get to our destination. Then you'll be joining your filthy parents and the muggle-loving fool. Now get back to your feet, or should I call in Bella?"

They both knew how evil Bellatrix truly was; she loved to get creative in her 'lessons' with Harry. The lessons lasted hours on end and when the demented witch got bored casting spells she reverted to old muggle tortures. The irony of her love of muggle tortures did not escape the youth, even when his flesh was being lashed from his back.

Mentally wincing, Harry slowly dragged himself to his feet, glaring daggers at Voldemort. He wanted nothing more than to ram a blade through his heart. When he could finally stand without falling over the door creaked open to allow Malfoy and Crabbe senior entrance. They immediately grabbed the Boy-Who-Lived, none too gently.

Harry made no sounds of protest as he was dragged along after the retreating figure of the Dark Lord. He was just so tired, both mentally and physically. He wanted this to be over so he could just sleep; to not feel, not exist, to be nothing. Harry was sick of living, of feeling, of suffering, of fighting! He would either kill Voldemort, or be killed by him; either way it didn't matter to him. What was there left to live for? His family? His friends? They were _gone_…all gone.

The chamber he was dragged into was called the royal chamber; it was where Voldemort conducted his business. The stone room was large and dark with only a few torches sparsely lining the walls. Shadows danced across the walls, almost as if they were alive, causing the boy to tremble slightly. They seemed to mock his presence; laughing at his thoughts and daring him to act on them.

Voldemort stood in front of his throne. The throne was a magnificent piece of craftsmanship; jewels lined the golden arm rests and forest green velvet covered the seat, it was a chair fit for a Slytherin prince.

Malfoy and Crabbe shoved him forward before bowing to Voldemort and slipping back into the ranks of the Death Eaters lining the walls.

"My loyal followers…Look upon the saviour of the wizarding world. Doesn't he look so _heroic_?" As the Dark Lord paused, the Death Eaters chuckled in response. They smirked at Harry who was fuming. "Potter, I'll give you one last chance…join me or die." It was a useless question asked for show which caused a ripple of amusement to pass through the assembled group.

Harry stared at Voldemort incredulously. Did he honestly expect Harry to accept?

"For the last time, _Riddle_,I will never join you and your merry band of scum. Let's get this over with. I have places to be, and people to see." Harry spat back, clenching his left fist while his right hand twitched.

Voldemort glared at the impertinent boy. "My, my, Potter, aren't you just eager to die today? Very well…have it your way…"

Taking a step forward, Voldemort threw a wand at Harry's feet. Harry stared at it for a minute before picking it up and looking at it. Lord Voldemort laughed eerily at the recognition in Harry's eyes. Its owner had been killed a mere two months earlier protecting a group of children from a Death Eater raiding party.

A pained whisper escaped the boy's lips. "Hermione…"

"I hope you like my choice, boy. After all, the mudblood did put up a good fight. Too bad she was on the light side; she could have been great otherwise."

Harry saw red as he quickly brought up the wand and fired the first curse that came to his lips. "AVADA KEDAVA!"

Voldemort barely managed to dodge to the side in time.

"Well, Potter, you do know how to fight after all. What would the old fool say if he knew that you just used that?" Voldemort chided in a mocking voice before throwing back his own curse.

Dangerous spells flew from both wands, powered by hatred for the other. Voldemort let out an insane laugh as a Reductor Curse came dangerously close to taking off his arm.

"Really, Potter, surely you can do better than that! Everyone who has sacrificed themselves for you would be so, so disappointed, Harry." Voldemort let a dangerous smile play across his narrow pale lips.

Harry snarled in anger, "Really, Tom, can't a dirty half-blood like you do any better? Always being denied victory by a child, what would dear daddy say? Oh that's right, daddy's a muggle who didn't care what you did!"

"How dare you call me by that filthy name!" Voldemort roared in rage. Harry just smiled back and shot off another curse.

As the fight went on, Death Eaters were forced to abandon their positions around the walls as stray curses and flying debris flew their way.

Harry almost lost his focus when one of his Severing Charm went wide from its target and removed Bellatrix's head from her shoulders. Shock crossed his face briefly before a glint entered his eyes and he laughed hysterically. For all the pain that she had caused him…the torment of Sirius' death, his month of pain at her hand…and she was taken out by a stray curse? With a snort he launched himself back into the fight with renewed force.

With speed that belied his injured state, he cast spell after spell, trading off offensive and defensive with the Dark Lord. Dodging and rolling, he attempted to take out his opponent's feet with a Bludgeoning Curse. Voldemort quickly side-stepped and sent a blue ray of light back at the teenager on the ground.

Harry snarled and sent back a green beam which shot towards his parents' killer at an ungodly speed. Voldemort deftly stepped out of the way of an oncoming red beam, but failed to see the green light heading stray of its original mark. The light connected with the Dark Lord, and time seemed to stand still.

Voldemort wore a look of total shock on his face as he fell backwards.

The body that hit the ground had dull red eyes that stared unseeingly into the distance.

The Dark Lord was dead, bested by a seventeen-year-old boy.

Total silence descended upon the room as the Death Eaters stared in shock at their master's body. Suddenly, an enraged Death Eater threw a curse at the Boy-Who-Lived.

Harry didn't even try to dodge as the curse hit its mark, and the world went black. The last thought to pass his mind was that finally he would have peace.

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A special thanks to Melisus the Wee for editing this chapter.


	2. Chapter 2

"Gideon, what's that there in the bushes?" Jack asked his older brother, pointing out a piece of cloth lying just off the path in the tall grass.

Gideon peered at the cloth before shrugging his shoulders. "Just an old cloth. Come on before dad gets worried; we were supposed to be back an hour ago."

Gideon began to trot along the path, but was stopped by his brother's yell.

"It moved! There's something in it!"

Turning around, he quickly ran back to where his younger brother was peering at the thing as it moved. He could just make out the slow shifting of the cloth. Pushing Jack back behind him, Gideon removed his wand and walked cautiously forwards into the tall grass. The farther in he walked, the more cloth he could see. Suddenly, realization hit him; it was a cloak. The cloak was torn, dirty, and covered in blood. He gripped his wand tighter and leaned forward into a fighting stance. Fearing what he might find underneath, Gideon slowly pulled the cloak back.

Underneath the torn cloak a child around nine or ten-years-old laid, but at the state of the boy Gideon had to gasp in shock. Dried blood caked the boy's face and hair, while bruises scattered his face making him appear bloated.

He turned his paling face back to his younger brother and yelled in a stern voice, "Go get Dad now! Run!"

Hearing the urgency in his brother's voice, Jack took off down the path as fast as he could.

Gideon turned back towards the boy and checked for a pulse. He could feel a weak beating underneath his light touch on the small pale arm. When he placed his hand on the boy, even in sleep he stiffened and shied away as if expecting violence. From the bruises and cuts lining the boy's arms and face he could understand why.

Gideon turned the boy over on his back hoping that it would help with his ragged breathing. Even to the untrained ear the breathing sounded forced, labored.

He could only study the boy's face as he waited for help; the young face was caked with dirt and blood, and creased with worry lines even in oblivion. For the first time in his life, Gideon felt helpless and enraged; enraged at the child's condition, and helpless about not being able to aid the unknown boy. He became even more worried when the child let out some hacking coughs and spluttered up some blood.

He was brought out of his thoughts at the sound of pounding feet quickly approaching. Gideon let out a sigh of relief as he saw his father racing towards him.

Layamon didn't even pause as he jumped into the grass with his wand outstretched and ran to his oldest son who was standing pale faced with shadowed eyes.

The boy lying on the ground was clearly dying. Layamon was shocked to see the unknown boy in such a state as to make one think he had been tortured. He quickly bent down and picked the boy up, marveling at how light he was, almost as if he was air.

"Go home and tend to your siblings; I'll take him to St. Mungo's. I'll be back as soon as I can," he quickly told Gideon before apparating away to the hospital.

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The healers took the boy immediately and Layamon was led to a room to give a report to the head healer.

Unfortunately the wizard could tell the healers very little. The healer was a bit frustrated to learn practically nothing about his new patient, only that he was found a few minutes ago in the woods.

Layamon sat back in his chair and rubbed his eyes wearily; however hard he tried he couldn't get the image of the prone little body lying motionless in the grass out of his mind. He shuddered as he remembered the ragged breathing and the dried blood on the boy's face.

For the first time in his life Layamon Preyton felt absolutely helpless and lost; he could only wait and hope that the boy would pull through.

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Colors…swirls…patterns… They kept flashing past his eyes, but no matter how hard he tried he could not grasp nor understand them. Harry let out a moan of despair as he tried more desperately to grasp the colors…and _there_! Just for a minute Harry opened his eyes, but was immediately blinded by white light and noise. Scrunching his eyes tightly, he drifted back out of consciousness with one last moan of irritation as a face loomed over his own.

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"Mr. Preyton?" a healer asked the waiting room in general.

Layamon quickly got to his feet and made his way over to the healer in concern. "How is he?"

The healer looked extremely uncomfortable and motioned Layamon into a nearby office. Once they were both safely inside and the healer put up some security wards he began to talk.

"The boy you brought in may or may not live. It's hard to tell at the moment because of the extent of his injuries."

"What exactly are his injuries?" Mr. Preyton asked, knowing they had to be bad for a healer to look hesitant about discussing them.

"Sir, strictly speaking I am not supposed to discuss his condition with you, but since we do not know who he is, and you did bring him in, I feel that you should at least be somewhat informed."

Layamon nodded his understanding.

"He is suffering from starvation, many broken bones, infected gashes, internal bleeding, and overexposure to some _curses_…" the healer said quickly, trailing off at the end and looking troubled. "He is currently in a magical coma from severe drain on his magical core, something that hasn't been recorded happening in centuries."

Layamon was shocked. Whatever the boy went through had to have been intense to almost drain his magical core. Wait a minute…some curses?

"What kind of curses are you talking about?" Mr. Preyton asked sharply.

"Well as you know, we can find traces of many curses for about a year or two after they take place?" Healer Attikson asked him.

Seeing the nod in confirmation, Attikson continued with his explanation with extreme worry.

"Well, we found traces of the Imperius curse, many other dark curses, some boarder lined curses that while not officially dark they are usually considered such, and the boy was practically glowing from all the Cruciatus Curses that had been preformed on him." The young man said with a shudder.

Layamon sat, stunned.

"He also shows signs of physical torture…"

Attikson looked as if he was going to be sick, a feeling that Layamon was experiencing himself. Who in the world would torture a child in such a manner?

"My God…" Layamon muttered, looking extremely faint. "Does the Ministry know yet?"

"The head healer is informing the Ministry as we speak. They should be sending over an auror team to investigate. The boy should only be unconscious perhaps a few days or a week at the most."

Layamon nodded his understanding. Before leaving, he made the young man promise to fire call him when or if the boy had any changes in health.

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Harry opened his eyes and had to bite back a groan from the brightness of the room. Squinting, he slowly studied the room. He was clearly in a hospital, something he could tell simply by sniffing the air. Every medical facility he had been in always had the same smell of disinfectants.

The room was medium-sized; off-white; and had a window which was wide open, letting in bright morning light. Bright, annoying, _blasted_ light, he thought irritably.

He slowly lifted his hand towards the window about to make it close, when he paused. Even though his glasses were gone he could still make out that something was not quite right with his hand. Bringing it closer to his face, Harry gasped at its appearance.

Quickly looking down he began to feel his body and limbs with a disbelieving look plastered on his face. He was small! Was he even in his own body?

Harry quickly felt of his forehead and let out a sigh of relief when his fingers brushed over a very familiar scar. So he was still himself, but why was he small and where was he? He couldn't be in St. Mungo's since it had been destroyed three months ago by a Death Eater attack. Did that mean he was out of the country? He was clearly in a magical hospital of some sort since he saw a bottle of Skele-Grow on his bedside table.

Harry slipped out of his bed stiffly and limped towards the door, when he felt a draft. Looking down, he groaned with disgust at the hospital gown, and quickly transfigured it in to a loose blue robe.

Silently opening the door, he noiselessly began to creep out into the hallway, when a startled yelp came from his right. Harry quickly whirled to the right and brought up his right hand ready to start throwing curses when he caught sight of a startled young nurse.

"What are you doing out of bed?" the nurse asked, trying to sound stern but still looking shocked as she held her chest from fright.

Harry studied the young women before asking, "Where am I?"

"You are in St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries; you were brought here yesterday by a man who found you in the woods."

He just blinked and looked at the young lady; she clearly was insane. She honestly thought he was going to believe that he was in St. Mungo's?

"St. Mungo's?" Harry asked, hoping she would clarify. As far as he knew, there was only one St. Mungo's.

"Yes, it's a hospital in London - the best in England. Now Mr…?"

"Potter, Harry Potter…" Harry muttered distractedly, lost in his thoughts.

"Right. Now, Mr. Potter, you need to get back to your bed so I can go find your healer. We've all been extremely worried about you."

Harry nodded and went back to his bed and crawled in. Then it hit him. They didn't know who he was… not from his scar …nor by his name. If this was St. Mungo's then the only thing that explained what was happening was that he had somehow been sent to the past.

Leaning back, he let out a groan and covered his face. Why did everything always happen to him? Why did he always have to survive? He had finished his task; why couldn't Fate just do him a favor and let him die in peace? But no! Fate decided to be a bitch and make him suffer even more! Silently, Harry vowed when he finally did die he was going to give a few immortals a piece of his mind.

Harry quickly composed himself as he heard quick footsteps nearing his door. A few moments later a young healer in lime green robes walked into the room, looking slightly flushed. Without waiting for introductions, the healer pulled out his wand and started casting diagnostic spells at the bed-ridden boy. When he was finished, he looked at the results and had to fight to keep the look of shock off of his face.

The boy shouldn't have even been awake according to his results yesterday, but here he was, up and walking. Not only that, but his results only showed some minor injuries that were healing as he watched.

Healer Jettison cleared his throat, "How are you feeling, Mr. Potter?"

"Fine, better than fine, I guess," Harry said in a smooth voice. "What's the date, Healer…?

"Jettison. The date is the twentieth of July. Now could you perhaps tell me how you came to be in the state you were in when you were found?" Healer Jettison asked as he pulled out a quill and clipboard, waiting to take notes.

"No."

"I'm sorry, but no?" Atkinson asked looking over at the boy in confusion.

"I won't; it doesn't matter how I came to be there, or in that condition. When am I allowed to leave?" Harry asked, forgetting that he was currently in a child's body.

The healer just stared at the boy in shock. No? He wasn't going to tell them what happened? Surely he would have to eventually; after all, he had already alerted the aurors that the child was awake. They would be here any minute.

"I'm sorry, Harry, but we need to know what happened to you so that we can help fix it," Atkinson said in a soft comforting voice.

Harry narrowed his eyes at the man then sighed. "I said no, Healer Jettison, now when may I leave?"

"I am sorry, Mr. Potter, but I am afraid I do not have the answer to that. Once we get in touch with your guardians, the Ministry will decide which course of action to pursue."

"My guardians? Why would I…" Harry began, but then paused again and gave a mental 'oh' while he frowned. "I have no guardians, so there won't be a need to contact them. I'll be fine by myself."

Jettison frowned sadly, "Yes orphans are becoming more common in these troubled times, with this so called dark lord meandering around killing every one."

"Dark Lord?" Harry asked with a slight rise of an eyebrow, after all he didn't know when exactly he was.

The healer's frown turned to one of concern, "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named of course. Are you feeling well Mr. Potter?"

Harry narrowed his eyes at the stupid question considering that he was in a hospital. He desperately wished to just stun the annoying healer and make a break for it, but if the ministry was coming then he would have little chance of not being found out.

When the healer left, Harry sat back and began to make a story to use for when the aurors arrived. For once in his life he was glad that he had study studied everything about the first rise of Voldemort and any Potter history he could get his hands on. Coming up with a believable story might not be that hard after all, but first thing first he needed to find that nurse and find out the year…discretely of course.

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Edited once again by the fabulous Melisus the Wee :D!


	3. Chapter 3

A few minutes later two middle aged men in ministry uniforms entered the room. The first was slightly tanned with brown hair, dark brown eyes; his face was lined from laughing and smiling. However, he currently had a somber pitying expression on his face as he surveyed the young boy. They had both read the report on the injuries found on the boy, and needless to say they were shocked and repulsed that some one could do such things to a child. The second man had a shocking head of bright red hair with bright blue eyes that seemed to hold a fatherly comfort. Slightly stocky the man looked fit for his age.

Both officials pulled up chairs next to the boy's bed, something that made Harry extremely uncomfortable with their close proximity.

"Hello there." The brown haired man began with a faint smile and a gentle voice.

Harry nodded his head in recognition.

"My name is Auror Carwin and this is Auror Emerson."

Once again Harry nodded his head and then licked his lips.

"Harry Jacomus Leandros Potter."

Seeing the men raise their eye brows Harry allowed a small smile to appear on his lips.

"I figured you'd need my full name for the paper work."

The man named Emerson let out a slight chuckle of agreement, "Good point."

With that said Emerson pulled out a note pad and ball point pen. He must have noticed Harry's stare because he looked at the boy and slightly raised an eyebrow of enquiry.

The dark haired boy blushed a bit as he had been caught staring.

"Sorry about that sir, I've never seen a wizard actually use something as convenient or logical as a muggle pen."

At the statement both of the other men burst out laughing and Carwin raised his eyes in a mocking manner towards Emerson.

"Fine then, I'll admit it your wife had a point…muggle pens are better than quills." Emerson finally muttered good naturedly. Once they settled back down Emerson wrote down Harry's name on the notepad and nodded towards Carwin.

"Now what are your parents' names?"

Harry sighed and lowered his eyes.

The two men immediately became more somber and exchanged glances.

"Harry are you ok?" Carwin asked in a soft voice placing a hand on the boys shoulder and noticed how it tensed at the contact.

"I'm fine." The boy finally answered moving out of the other man's grasp.

"My parents' names were Patroclus and Maeve Potter all I know for sure is that I am named after my great uncle." Harry answered.

Harry didn't feel a bit bad about stretching the truth a bit, he really was named after his great uncle, well in away since James was named after him, and Harry's middle name is James. So even if that's not the same uncle he is talking about he still was named after a great uncle.

Emerson nodded and wrote down the new bit of information.

"So you were named after your great uncle Harry Potter?" Carwin asked.

"What? No, I have no clue where my mother got the name Harry from; my uncle was named Jacomus Leandros Potter. According to my guardians my grandmother dying request of her son was to name his first born son after her brother, which he agreed to. Hence I am named Harry Jacomus Leandros Potter." Harry replied with a shrug.

Now both men were looking some what confused.

"If your grandmother requested of her son that she named him after her brother then how could he be a Potter?" Emerson asked.

"Oh my grandmother gave my father her maiden name. Come to think of it, I'm not even sure she ever stopped using her maiden name once she was married, I think her husband died before my dad was born, but I'm not sure." Harry said with a thoughtful expression on his face.

Emerson raised his eyebrows at the odd arrangement but continued to write down every thing he was told, while not common for a child to take the mother's last name, it was not unheard of, especially if the father had died.

"You mentioned guardians Mr. Potter? If you don't mind me asking what happened to your parents?" Carwin asked gently not wishing to up set the boy.

Harry visibly tensed at the question and he gripped the sheet in his hands tightly.

"My mother…Maeve died giving birth to me…she was only eighteen, my parents married young." The boy slowly unclenched the sheet and grasped his hands together nervously, "as for my father, I am not sure what really happened to him, my caregivers told me that he died, but they never said how."

"I…" Harry paused here and looked at the two men uncomfortably.

Emerson motioned him to continue so Harry took a deep steadying breath and continued in a voice barely above a whisper, "I think he was murdered."

Emerson and Carwin shared an uncomfortable glance with each other, a look that was filled with pity for the child in front on them.

"I am sorry to hear that Harry." Emerson whispered watching the boy.

"It's fine, I never knew them."

Carwin could here the pain in the young boy's voice even as he denied that he cared about it. He's heart was breaking for the boy, and they hadn't even gotten to the part that they were sent to investigate.

Emerson sighed sadly and continued, "Now who are your guardians?"

"My guardians were Zacharie and Helen Blanc. My father and Zacharie were child hood friends where they grew up in Reims…" Carwin interrupted him, "Reims as in France?"

Sighing Harry nodded.

"After the defeat of Grindelwald my Grandmother thought it would be safer in France so she moved, gave birth and raised my father there, where he met and became friends with Zacharie who was a few years older than he. Later Zacharie decided to travel a bit after school and met his future wife Helen in Scotland." Here Harry let a fond smile play across his lips as if he was remembering a story that he was retold often.

"After my parents died, Zacharie and Helen as my god mother and god father took me in, treated me like their own son since they weren't able to have children, and we lived in Lyon for the first four years of my life. I'm not sure why, perhaps my mum…" here Harry paused and sighed, "Well Helen might have been homesick for some actual English speaking people, so we moved to the small village of Blackwaterfoot in Scotland. Dad was never really happy about it with rumors of a new dark lord flying around."

"We've been living there every since until a little over three weeks ago…" Harry trailed off getting a tired distant look to his eyes.

He turned his back to the two older men, hoping that he would be able to pull off the next bit of acting.

"Then they came…I'm not sure who they are, but they were wearing black robes and white masks. They killed them…right in front of me…and just laughed…I can still see the fear in my parents' eyes as they were held at wand point…total fear and defeat, they knew they were going to die." Harry's voice broke here with contained emotion and he felt a hand grip his shoulder once again.

This time however he didn't pull away, but actually leaned in to the comfort.

"I'm not sure where they took me, but I do know I was there for weeks…they…they…" He stuttered out and broke of leaving the sentence hanging in the air once again he felt the hand grip his shoulder, lending him support to continue.

"Well I don't need to tell you what they did; my medical report should speak for itself. I really don't know how I came to be wherever I was found though; the last thing I remember was passing out from one of the curses they used on me."

When Harry was finished speaking he could feel the anger and the sorrow in the air, and almost taste the hatred for Voldemort.

Finally Emerson spoke up, "Thank you for telling us what happened Harry. Do you have any questions that we can answer for you?"

"Who were they?" Was the whispered question from the boy.

Both Emerson and Carwin exchanged glances trying to figure out just how much to tell him.

"They are called Death Eaters, followers of he-who-must-not-be-named."

"Why did they kill my parents? What did they ever do to deserve that?" Harry asked in a lost voice racked with pain and grief.

"I don't know Harry…they aren't good people…they thrive on the suffering of others." Emerson answered his heart breaking for the boy in front of him, never in his whole life had he meet some one who had already been forced through so much suffering and pain.

Harry bowed his head and muttered one last question, "What will happen to me now?"

This time it was Carwin who answered the sad question.

"You'll be safe."

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The Minister of Magic was shocked and dismayed at the report given by Bran Carwin and Gavin Emerson about the boy named Harry Potter. As far as they could trace his story checked out, even down to the attack in Blackwaterfoot. The small cottage home had burned to the ground, erasing any evidence they possibly could find of bodies. If it hadn't been for the boy's tale the Ministry may have never known that two people lost their lives there.

The hard part was what to do with the boy now? Millicent Bagnold had known Jacomus Leandros Potter very well. The man was a great auror in his day and sadly to say he and his wife had died in a Death Eater attack on their home a few years back. Harold, their only son, had been devastated and had taken a while to work through his grief.

If the boy was truly a Potter, which she didn't doubt hearing his description, would Harold be willing to take him in? The boy lost his parents to a Death Eater attack, something that was sure to strike a cord in Harold.

Well the only way to know was to ask. Taking out an office note she jolted down a request and then sent the message on its way. Millicent sat back in her chair as she watched the paper bird fly away to its destination.

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Harold Potter was not having a good day at all, first he had to go home because his son had some how gotten stuck, yes STUCK, in a secrete passage way, and his lovely wife wasn't able to remove him; then when he gets back to the office he is attacked by a vicious note, requesting his presences immediately by the Minister of Magic herself. Not that he had anything against the minister, just that the only news he ever seemed to receive from her lately was bad news, something he was hoping to avoid like the plague.

Harold quickly made his way to the minister's office and knocked politely.

Millicent Bagnold quickly opened the door giving a nervous smile and inviting the auror to take a seat in front of her desk.

Mentally Harold groaned at the nervous smile…he knew from experience that that smile did not bode well. Something was definitely wrong.

"Well Harold how are you, Emily and James doing?"

Keeping back an annoyed growl at his son, Harold instead gave a polite smile, "They are doing fine; James can't wait to go back to Hogwarts and his friends. He's going to be a third year this year, time is going by so fast."

"Indeed it is. I remember when James only came up to your waist and would insist that he would protect you from criminals when he came to work with you." Minister Bagnold smiled in amusement, but quickly stopped when she remembered the conversation ahead.

"Harold I have some shocking news for you. You did know that your father had a younger sister yes?"

Harold nodded in confusion, why in the world would Bagnold want to talk about his dead aunt? He barely remembered her as he was only seven when she vanished; the only thing that really stuck out was her bright green eyes. His father had never really gotten over the lost of his little sister, who he loved dearly, and thought of more as a daughter more than anything. Right out of Hogwarts in 45 she just upped and vanished with out a trace. Half the family believed her dead; the other half believed she ran off with her lover. Neither was proven though, nothing was ever found.

"Have you by any chance heard about the boy that was found in the woods the other day badly beaten?" Bagnold asked quietly examining the papers on her desk.

Harold narrowed his brow in confusion and concern for he had not heard of such an event as of yet.

"No minister I have not heard of such an event, is he ok?"

"Yes the boy is fine, but it's who we think he is that concerns us. I sent Aurors Carwin and Emerson to question him about how he turned up that way and he told a most disturbing tale." Millicent said with a sigh.

"Instead of telling what he said I think it would be more beneficial to just read the report." She said and pulled out some papers and passed it over to the dark haired man.

With a bit of trepidation Harold began to read, and his jaw dropped almost immediately.

Name: Harry (possibly Harold) Jacomus Leandros Potter

Age: 10

Birth date: 31 July, 1962

Physical Description: 5'0" Black hair, green eyes.

Parents: Patroclus and Maeve Potter (deceased)

God Parents: Zacharie and Helen Blanc (deceased)

Description of event: Attacked at home in…

Harold zoned out in shock at what he was reading, with each passing line he began to feel sicker and sicker. Finally finishing off with the medical report Harold thought that he would be physically ill at all the torture his cousin had went through. Closing his eyes he leaned his head back and sighed in sadness.

"When will he be released?" He finally asked opening his eyes and looking over the desk at the minister.

"He should be released from St. Mungo's within the week. Would you be willing to offer him a home?" Millicent asked hopefully.

"Of course, he's my cousin with no where else to go! I'll pick him up as soon as possible. Now if you'll excuse me Minister I need to take my leave and inform my family of the unfolding events." Harold stated quickly clearly bothered, and walked out the door and to the apparition point.

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note

I'm currently working on three stories so it may be a few days(or MORE) before the next update..please be patient :D I'll try to update as soon as possible.


	4. Chapter 4

Harry let out a long suffering sigh before picking up another vile of disgusting healing draught. The young nurse, who had introduced herself as Anna, laughed good naturedly at the look on his face as the potion hit his tongue.

"That's just foul!" Harry grumbled as he placed the empty vile back on the tray and took a sip of water trying to disperse the lingering taste.

"Now, now Mr. Potter, it really is for the best." Anna replied with a smirk, Harry had became her new favorite patient, and tormenting him brought her great amusement.

Harry shot her a playful glare, "Sure, torture the poor boy by shoving foul liquids down his throat; I'm sure he'll appreciate it."

At his words Anna paled a bit.

Seeing this Harry immediately tried to put the young woman at ease, "Honestly Anna I was joking. I'm fine; it'll take more than a little potion to kill me. I've heard that I am rather resilient."

The nurse gave a small smile before turning and taking the tray. On her way out the door she paused and turned her head, "By the way you will be leaving this evening."

Before Harry could question her she quickly slipped out of the room leaving an annoyed ten-year-old behind.

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"Dad may I please go with you to pick him up?" A thirteen-year-old James Potter pleaded with his father.

Now, most thirteen-year-old boys would usually avoid their parents like the plague, like any _normal_ teenager, and this was usually the case with James, but today was not a normal day. Of course the day had started off perfectly normal, he had been exploring Potter Castle, got stuck in a small passage (something he would not be mentioning to his friends), and had the normal lunch. What was not normal was his father charging in half way through the meal exclaiming about long lost cousins. As far as James knew he had no Potter cousins, so this came as quite the shock.

The plot only thickened from there. His dad wouldn't go into details about why his cousin was coming to live with them; all he said was that the boy's guardians had recently died. James had a feeling that his parents waited until he went to his room to really start discussing the boy.

Harold looked over at his son who was shifting on his feet in apprehension. He didn't see in the point in not allowing his son to accompany him, so he gave a slight nod and James broke out in a wide grin.

After a few minutes Harold motioned for James to follow him to the fireplace, "Well come on, we'll pick him up by floo."

Still grinning James followed his father.

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Harry nervously played with his sheet as he waited for his grandfather to arrive and pick him up.

After many hours of torturing Harry, Anna finally gave in and told him who he was going to live with. He had hoped when he gave his story that it would yield these results, but as long as he was able to go some where decent he wasn't going to complain. After all he had been given a unique opportunity to set history right, and what better place to start than at Hogwarts, with his parents?

Perhaps he could even save his grandparents in this time as well, for they were supposed to die at the beginning of James' seventh year at school, as for Lily's parent's both of them died in sort of freak boating accident when she was a year out of Hogwarts.

Harry sighed; just thinking about it gave him a headache.

He closed his eyes and placed his face in his hands rubbing his eyes wearily trying to relieve the tension in his head; he would have continued to do so, but heard a quiet shuffle from the door way.

Harry quickly jerked his head up and squinted in the direction of the doorway. He could just make out a man in his late thirties to early forties standing at the door. From the distance Harry couldn't really make out any of the man's features, but from what he could tell was that the man seemed to be in a state of shock.

Harry cleared his throat after what seemed to be an eternity.

"Something I can help you with sir?"

At his words the man seemed to snap out of his daze and moved closer to the bed where Harry could get his first good look at his grandfather.

The man had dark black hair that was mildly untamed, with dark blue eyes. He was also fairly tall, with a slim build, and slightly graying hair. His features resembled Harry's greatly, but looked more refined and aristocratic.

"Hello there, my name is Harold Potter. In light of resent events, I've been named your guardian." Harold said looking a bit uncomfortable and nervous.

The bluntness of his words may have shocked and offended some children, but Harry was no child, and he could tell that his grandfather was extremely uneasy, therefore let his lack of tact go for the moment.

"Pleasure to meet you Mr. Potter. Thank you for taking me in." Harry bowed his head shyly and twiddled with his sheet again.

"Think nothing of it, Harry. I'll just step out while you get ready." Harold said with a small smile and made his way back out of the room.

Once he was gone Harry quickly got out of bed and transfigured his bed robes to something decent looking, and transfigured the glass of water by his bed into a pair of glasses. Once he put them on, he fixed them to his prescription, by concentrating until everything came into sharp focus. Once that was done he quickly moved towards the door and opened it looking for his grandfather.

However, instead of finding the older man, a face that looked almost identical to his came in view. Both boys gasped and jumped back in shock at the other's appearance.

The other boy was clearly a few years older and about five inches taller than Harry who immediately knew who the other boy had to be. People didn't tell him he looked like his father for nothing.

As both of them were eyeing the other curiously Harold rounded the corner heading back to Harry's room, and saw both boys just standing there. He had to admit the likeness between them was even more pronounced when they were side by side. Harry could easily pass as James' brother, uncannily so.

The young boy had wild black hair that stuck up in odd angles; the black locks surrounded a slightly pale face with sparkling green eyes that were framed by the ever popular Potter glasses. For being nearly eleven Harry was short for his age, small and wiry, but from what Harold had seen of the boy so far he expected that he was quick like James.

The young boy didn't look nearly as bad as he thought he would, from the reports Harold expected the boy to still be in bed recovering, but here he was up walking around like nothing had happened. Faint lines and bruises still lined Harry's body however, and some of the lashes on his back were sure to become scars.

He sighed and quickly made his way over to the boys who were still staring in shock.

"Harry, I'd like you to meet my son James. James, this is your cousin Harry." Harold said placing a protective hand on James shoulder.

The hand seemed to nock James out of his stupor and he stuck out a hand towards Harry, who reluctantly took it.

"Pleasure to meet you." Harry muttered shyly.

James just grinned a little uneasily back at him.

"Well let's get going boys. Dinner should be ready by the time we get home." Harold said a bit more cheerfully than he felt. It wasn't that he wasn't happy to have Harry with them, just that everything was happening so quickly. One minute he and his family were the only known Potters, the next he had a long lost cousin that appeared out of nowhere nearly tortured to death, with no family left.

But before they could move Anna walked around the corner quickly towards them and enveloped the young boy in a bone crushing hug.

Harry about choked as the air was forced from his lungs at the strength of the hug.

"Anna…let go…I need air!" He finally was able to gasp out.

The young nurse blushed crimson and let go of the boy, a bit embarrassed at her familiarity with Harry, in front of what was obviously his family.

Once Harry had gotten his breathing back under control he gave Anna a wide grin and a wink, that made Harold laugh.

"Well Anna, I'm certainly going to miss you too, but that doesn't mean you have to injury me to keep me here awhile longer. I'm sure there are many other patients you just love to torture with your foul tasting potions." Harry said half playfully, half seriously.

Anna just raised an eyebrow in threat at his statement. Harry grinned nervously and took off down the hall, hoping to avoid another bout with anything she would try to force on him.

Harold and James quickly followed their new family member to the floo point wondering how he knew the way.

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Mary Potter glanced at the newest occupant of the house through the corner of her eyes. She didn't want to appear rude and out right stare at him, but she felt almost drawn to the boy that resembled her son so much. True, James looked very much like his father, but Harry looked almost identical to James, almost as if he was his actual _blood _brother.

She frowned for a moment thinking in a line of thought she hoped she would never even consider. What if Harry was James' brother?

Impossible!

Harold was too much of a gentlemen to even consider another women. However…there is a first time for everything.

Mary looked sharply at her husband, studying him to see how he would behave around the boy. True he was nervous, as was she, but was it because the circumstances surrounding the boy, or was it because this was his son?

She turned back to the boy, as she was doing so he glanced up at her and their eyes locked. Green clashed with blue and time seemed to stand still to Mary. He had such beautiful eyes…eyes you could easily lose yourself in. The dark haired boy blinked and quickly looked away from her a bit uneasily.

Mary had paused as she brought her glass to her mouth.

Those precious emeralds had held such emotion in their sparkling depths; sorrow, pain, love, joy…great sadness and perhaps a touch of hope.

Just the emotions that the eyes displayed nearly made her to break down in tears, for she knew why those eyes could be so sad. Hold such pain and misery.

She made up her mind in those few short seconds. It did not matter whose son Harry was/had been, he was now her SON and she would love him as such, for every child deserved their mother.

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"So Harry, have you received your Hogwarts letter yet?" James asked trying to make conversation in the unusually quiet room. Dinners at the Potters were usually quite talkative with lively conversations and tales of their daily coming and goings.

"No, I don't believe I have…mum and dad may have had it though. If they did they would usually save it for my birthday, you know try to keep it as a surprise and all." Harry said with a smile fond smile that had a touch of sadness and bitterness to it.

James shifted in seat uncomfortably.

"Well I think I can arrange for you to get your letter soon. I'll make it a point to talk to Albus tomorrow after lunch." Harold replied with a comforting smile.

Harry nodded his head in acceptance of this, and turned back to his father.

"So do you like Quidditch?"

James' face immediately perked up and his eyes took on an edge usually seen when he was up to some mischief.

"Of course, I love Quidditch! I'm trying out for the house team this year."

The boys talked animatedly about their favorite sport as both Mary and Harold watched the two in quiet relief.

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Harry's room was beside of James'.

Since he had no possessions with him, Mary demanded that he let her take him shopping the next day before lunch. That way they could pick up everything he would need for Hogwarts this year except for his books, since they didn't know which ones to pick up.

Mentally Harry groaned as he realized that with absolutely no clothing, it would take forever in Madam Malkins tomorrow.

He had to admit that his room was very nice. Actually, he wouldn't have expected to find such a causal room in the Potters' residence. Not that he thought them stuck up or anything of the sort, but they were much more formal in the rest of their décor.

Harry had just sat down at his large desk, when there was a nock from outside his door.

"Come in." He called out.

The door quietly opened and a head of messy black hair moved through the doorway.

Both boys openly stared at the other, not caring in the least that many would consider it rude.

"Do you need something James?" Harry finally asked, pulling his gaze away from his father.

James quickly looked away as well.

"Well not really, I just wanted to get to know you a bit, since you are my cousin." The statement even sounded a bit fake to James who shuffled his feet a bit.

"Okay, what would you like to know?"

James looked as if he was about to say something but decided to change his mind at the last moment.

"Um what house do you hope to be sorted in?"

Harry smiled softly at the question wondering what James would do if he was told Slytherin. That would sure put a hitch in their relationship right off.

"I'm not sure all of the houses have aspects that I like. So I would have to say all of them, but I know that is not possible, so I'll have to accept whichever house I am chosen for."

James nodded at the statement, with a small frown on his face as he studied the form of his cousin once again.

"How did you get those bruises?"

"A present from my god parents' killers." Harry said shortly, not caring to elaborate, especially to a thirteen-year-old boy, even if he was his father.

James paled a bit, but did not push for a more complete answer than that.

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Mary watched her husband as he sat poring over a paper file, she could see a frown of anger and sadness pulling at his handsome features.

"Harold?"

"Yes dear?" Harold looked up from Harry's file once more, physically cringing at some of the tortures he had been put through.

"What do you know of Harry's heritage?"

She made sure to phrase in such a way that it could not be taken as an accusation.

Harold paused in remembrance of something before sighing and rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"As you know my father had a younger sister? Actually she was only ten years my elder.

Cassandra was like a sister to me, I don't really remember that much about her except for flashes, but I remembered I loved her." Here he paused in thought.

"Harry…has her eyes…her brilliant green eyes. Cassandra and Harry are the only people I've ever known to have that shade of green." The end of the sentence trailed off slightly.

"She disappeared right out of Hogwarts in 45. Many people said she ran off with her lover who was muggle born, but nothing was ever found out. That's all I knew…until I read this report. It would seem the rumors were true and she did leave the country with her lover." Harold closed his eyes in frustration and anger.

"Harold what is it?" Mary asked concerned.

"He died not knowing what happened to her! She left with no warning! We thought she was killed by Grindelwald's forces!" He yelled with anger.

"Father never forgave himself for her disappearance, and he died thinking that he had failed her, when she had left of her own free will."

"I had a cousin, her son, that I never met, who died when he was nineteen! A nephew for my father that he was never allowed to treat as a second son." When Harold was finished his eyes were wet from unshed tears.

"She abandoned us, and now look what's happened…my cousin who could easily pass as my son was nearly tortured to death…he had to watch the only parents he remembered brutally killed. If she had only stayed everything would have been alright." He trailed off towards the end and placed his head in his hands.

Mary quickly enveloped her husband in a tight embrace. She heard one last soft murmur in a choked voice, "If only…"


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning James awoke Harry at 7:30 for an early breakfast before shopping.

Harry quickly pulled on some muggle styled clothing that was a bit big, owing to they were James, and then headed down to the dining room trying not to get lost in the process.

Harold seemed to have either left early, or be sleeping in since his seat remained empty throughout the entire meal. Mary fussed over him; refilling his plate multiple times, messing with his untamable hair, and straightening his jumper, all the while muttering about how thin he was.

Harry found the obvious affection reminiscent of the affection Molly Weasley poured onto him, and tried not to blush every time Mary patted his head, or groan when she added yet more food to his plate.

James found this highly amusing of course, and every time his mother looked away he would shoot Harry a very pronounced smirk, which earned him a scowl in return.

By the time the Potters were ready to leave for their shopping trip Harry thought he was going to burst from all the food forced down his throat.

Considering he had eaten very little in almost a month, he was amazed that he could keep anything down at all; with the floo travel they were about to use he would be surprised if he managed to keep it that way.

At a little past 8:30 the group stumbled out of the fireplace at the Leaky Cauldron, both of the boys landed in a heap, while Mary Potter walked out gracefully behind them, wiping off the soot that vacated her shoulders.

"Why the hell can't I ever land on my feet…" James grumbled angrily as he climbed to his feet brushing off the soot on his trousers. Harry followed suit in amusement, it would seem that his lack at landing was inherited from his father. Once on their feet the three made their way over to bar to say their greetings to the friendly bartender.

"Well hello there Mary! Shopping for Hogwarts already? Isn't it a bit early?" The middle-aged man asked leaning forward to get a good look at James and Harry. Once his eyes landed on Harry he asked in puzzlement, "And who's this little guy?"

The Potter's matriarchy gave the man a small smile back.

"This Roger, is my cousin Harry Potter, and we are picking up some of his supplies for Hogwarts before Diagon Alley is swamped."

Roger nodded his head at the small boy in greeting, but otherwise did not say anything about the unusual situation, for there were no other known Potters except for Harold, Mary, and James.

The first stop they made was Madam Malkins Robes for All Occasions. As soon as he heard the tinkle of the shop bell Harry cringed and started to sulk at all the different fabrics. He absolutely hated shopping. Most likely a side effect from not having been bought proper clothes as a child, and never having the social experience of doing so. Of course he had been fitted for his Hogwarts robes, but they were required, he hadn't had to pick anything out. Colors, fabrics, styles were totally beyond him, and as he suspected most guys. So when the smiling Madam Malkin came gliding over to them Harry couldn't help but to shrink back in dread…this was going to be awhile.

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As Harry was being fitted James decided he would head over to the Quidditch shop to see if they had stocked anything new or interesting since the last time he had been there.

Browsing the shelf he came across a new and improved practice snitch, and was just about to pick it up when a hand roughly grabbed his shoulder and swung him around.

James jumped in shock at the person in front of him, for it was no other than….

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Harry grimaced as yet another pin poked him in the side. They had already been here for half an hour being measured and prodded. After his measurements were taken they still had to pick out the fabrics and colors, and Harry couldn't help but to let out a long suffering sigh.

"Would you like to go to the quidditch store after you are finished being measured?" Mary asked with a touch of amusement at her new charge.

Immediately the young boy's face perked up.

"Would I ever, of course if it is ok with you." Harry said trailing off at the end, hoping that it was indeed ok.

"Of course it is fine. I'll walk you over when you are done being measured, James should still be there, and you two should be fine by yourselves."

Harry held extremely still hoping that way Madam Malkin could measure more quickly, and in what seemed an eternity she finally exclaimed that she was finished.

He thanked her politely before following his grandmother out of the store and in the direction of the quidditch supply shop.

Mary snuck a quick glance at the newest member of her family who was practically leading the way to the store. He wasn't staring around in wonder like most did when they first saw the alley before, and she decided to call him on it.

"Have you ever been to Diagon Alley before?"

Harry paused for a slight second before answering the question.

"My dad brought me shopping here once before when I was younger, it hasn't changed all that much."

"No it hasn't." Mary agreed with the ten-year-old.

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"Sirius!" James yelled out in surprise at the sudden appearance of his best friend.

The tall good looking boy grinned at the shorter one.

"Well hello to you too Jamesie. Fancy seeing you here."

"What are you doing here? I thought your parents were forcing you to Russia to visit those nasty relatives of yours?"

"They did," Sirius said with a smirk, "but my cousins sent me back after I set their dinning hall on fire. Of course we had a slight disagreement first."

"What sort of disagreement?" James asked in a concerned voice. He knew that the Blacks disapproved of their oldest son and considered him a blood traitor.

"The usual…you know, what is proper behavior for a pureblood and on such." Sirius replied with a nonchalant shrug.

"And what about Regulus?" Regulus was Sirius' younger brother. James had only met him once before, and the boy seemed ok, but he followed his parents to the t.

"Still there since he has been the perfect pureblood." Sirius looked a bit bitter at this.

"Well you never said what you were doing here exactly." James said with a smile trying to get his best mate's thoughts away from his family.

Sirius immediately changed his expression in to an eager grin.

"Ice cream of course, but I decided to check in with the latest racing brooms first. Guess this is our luck day, I never thought I would find you here."

Sirius smacked a hand on James shoulder grinning like the cat that ate the cannery.

"Yeah talking about lucky, you won't guess who showed up the other day…"

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As they entered the shop Mary spotted two familiar black heads bent together whispering urgently. Plotting no doubt to cause havoc once they return to Hogwarts.

Leading Harry over to the other boys she noticed that he suddenly stiffened and openly stared at the taller of the two boys. As soon as she noticed his discomfort it disappeared completely.

Frowning slightly she coughed gaining her son's attention.

James quickly spun around and with a look of pure surprise on his features.

Sirius however was openly gawking at the boy to Mary's right.

"Well hello Sirius, I didn't realize you were in the country this summer, or we would have loved to have you over." Mary said with a smile, for she was quite fond of the little prankster.

Sirius shot her a charming smile in return, "I had a change in living arrangements for the summer. My relatives in Russia decided that it would not be in their best interests to educate me."

Mary frowned at the 'educate' bit, but otherwise smiled at the young teenager.

"Well I need to get back to shopping at Madam Malkins' to pick out Harry's fabric and colors. You three be dears and keep out of trouble for thirty minutes please."

"Mum can we have some money to get some ice cream?" James said opening his big brown eyes to the fullest in an attempt to look innocent. Something Harry thought he pulled off quite well.

Mary handed them enough money for all of the boys to buy some ice cream…extra if they wanted.

"Now I'll meet you at the ice cream shop in thirty minutes. Oh and Sirius you are welcomed over any time." Mary said and patted the boy fondly on the shoulder before turning and heading back to the robes shop.

Once she was gone Sirius turned to stare at Harry, and Harry stared right back.

"So…"

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The three boys actually had a good time eating ice cream and talking about miscellaneous things. At first the conversation was forced and tense, until they all found a common ground; quidditch.

Soon after all three were speaking as if they were old time pals, which in a sense they were. Both James and Sirius forgot that Harry was over two years their junior and started to talk to him as if he was a peer. By the time Mary came to pick up Harry for his wand the three were already plotting pranks and all sorts of mischief.

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Mary led the young boy into the dusty old wand shop. As they pushed the door open the bell tinkled over head, announcing their presences. The shop was a creepy as ever, as the shadows rose and seemed to move away from the corners and towards the customers.

"Ah Mrs. Potter, 12 inches oak, with a unicorn's hair, very good for healing. I hope that it is still serving you well." Came a soft voice from behind the counter in the shadows.

Both Harry and Mary turned towards the voice as Ollivander was stepping out of the shadows.

Silently Harry was shocked at the man's appearance. If he didn't know for a fact that he was in the 70s he would think that this was his Ollivander. The man hadn't aged/de-aged a day.

The man's creepy eyes locked with Harry's, then slowly traveled up his forehead and rested on his scar.

"Yes it is still in excellent condition, and getting plenty of use healing…with James home for the holidays." Mary nodded her head in acknowledgement of Mr. Ollivander's question, but before she could introduce Harry Ollivander began to talk again.

"Very good, and how are you Mr. Potter? A bit far from home, aren't you?"

The man kept his eyes locked on the lightning shaped scar. Harry's eyes narrowed a bit and he moved his black locks over the scar, and in the process snapping the older man out of his daze.

"That I am Mr. Ollivander."

Mary looked curiously between the two in slight surprise.

"You know each other?"

Ollivander pulled his eyes away from Harry, and back onto Mrs. Potter.

"I knew his guardians briefly. They were a very nice couple…"

Ollivander said nothing more than that. Turning he picked up a tape measure and dropped it beside of Harry. Immediately the tape measure jumped into the air taking the boy's measurements.

Not for the first time Harry wondered about Mr. Ollivander's abilities. When Ollivander looked at him he saw recognition and amusement in his pale eyes.

"Enough."

With the spoken command the tape measurer ceased to work, and dropped to the floor in a heap.

"Now Mr. Potter if you'd follow me I think I have something that will interest you."

Harry followed the wand maker while Mary took a seat looking puzzled.

Ollivander led the boy down the hallway towards a back room that he had never seen before.

"So Mr. Potter what do you plan on doing while you are here?"

The small boy glared threateningly up at the old man.

"Who are you, or better yet, what are you?"

At the asked question Harry brought his hand up in a protective position. He had only been practicing wandless magic for a year now, and was making excellent process, but it required his full attention, therefore it was almost impossible for him to use in a duel.

Ollivander stared at the boy intently, his eyes glazing over even more until they reached a pure white state.

"It is irrelevant to your current situation. Now I have something for you."

He pulled out a small case for the drawer of his desk.

The case was made from what appeared to be an extremely dark wood, achieving an almost black color.

Harry took the case slowly and pulled back it's lid to reveal a simple silver ring, with a small snake pattern engraved on the band.

"What's this?" He asked curiously, but not with out a bit of caution.

"This is your new ring Mr. Potter, it is a heirloom from your…let's say 'grandfather'."

"My grandfather? Grandfather as in Cassandra's lover?" Harry enquired studying the ring more closely.

"Yes, Cassandra Potter's lover…"

"Does if have any special abilities?" He asked fearing enchantments or possibly injury. He still remembered the blackened hand of Albus Dumbledore after his encounter with Voldemort's ring.

"Well as you are somewhat proficient in wandless magic," Harry shot Ollivander a surprised look, "it won't be as effective for you. The ring can be used as a wand, so it will boost your 'wandless' abilities, however I suggest that you wear it on your left hand. Being able to cast spells with both hands will benefit you greatly in the future."

Harry slowly placed the ring on his finger having an odd since of deje vu. Once the ring was fully on a sudden surge of power ran through his body, and for a moment the metal glowed a brilliant gold.

"Ok Ollivander what was that?" He demanded nervously from the smiling wand maker.

"Curious, most curious indeed…" Ollivander's eyes sparkled with amusement, "it would appear that the ring has accepted you as its' new master, a most unlikely event."

Harry groaned and rubbed his brow.

"Meaning what?"

"Meaning you should be able to use your ring almost as well as your wand."

"And why is that curious?" The dark haired boy asked a bit warily, for he hadn't liked the last 'curious' thing to happen to him.

Ollivander simply grinned mysteriously.

"I think we should be heading back, your cousin will be worrying about you."

The man quickly exited the room before Harry could question him further.

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"Sorry for taking so long Mrs. Potter, I was gong to custom fit young Mr. Potter here, but I think I already have the perfect wand."

Mary Potter looked up and nodded politely at the excuse.

"No problem Mr. Ollivander, as long as he gets a close match it should be fine."

Ollivander went to a shelf and pulled off a box that was coated in a thick layer of dust. He quickly opened it and pulled out a very familiar holly wand.

Taking the wand Harry let out a sigh of contentment. For the first time in over a month he felt truly complete, as the wand seemed to feel a piece of his empty soul.

As soon as he raised the wand, red and gold sparks shot out the end and showered down around the three occupants in the room.

"Yes a very good match indeed." Ollivander muttered his eyes traveling to Harry's scar once more, making the boy extremely uncomfortable. After paying for the wand Mary led the boy from the shop, but on the way out they both heard the old wand maker mutter, "Enjoy your family Harry."

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	6. Chapter 6

Once the Potters came home from shopping Harry tried to escape to his room to think, but before he could leave the room he was grabbed by the shoulders and steered to the dinning room.

"I don't think so Harry, have your late lunch first and then a nap. You look too peaky for my liking." Mary pulled the young boy to the table and began to load his plate from dishes on the table being set out by the house elves.

Harry couldn't help but to imagine Hermione's indignation at the fact that his family had house elves, smiling slightly he looked down at his plate.

James immediately grabbed any food in his general area and began eating as if he hadn't done so in months.

Harry was sure that James would be able to give Ron a run for his money any day of the week.

"Eat Harry." Marry said staring pointedly at the boy until he picked up his fork in defeat. Seeing the action Mary sent him an award winning smile and then started in on her own meal.

After Harry could literally not eat another thing, he quietly followed James through the hallways and to his new room.

He honestly was very tired, even with going to bed early the previous night his eye lids were barely staying opened. Harry knew that his magic wasn't even halfway full yet, and until it was he would most likely be very fatigued.

Slipping off his sweater and shoes he slipped in between the covers. Sighing he closed his eyes hoping that some rest would help with his building headache.

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Albus read over the file very carefully, grimacing at the various injuries that the boy had endured. Harold was sitting opposite of the revered older man in a plush arm chair, shifting in a bit of discomfort.

Once Albus finished the file he closed his eyes trying to commit all information read to memory.

"Albus will you allow Harry to attend Hogwarts?"

At the question Dumbledore opened his eyes and peered over his glasses at the much younger man, a man that was once his student.

"Of course Harold, I see no reason as to keep him from receiving an education, after all he has not done anything wrong."

Harold nodded his head in silent relief.

"I will inform Minerva to send young Harry a letter of acceptance, and his supplies list."

"Why didn't he already receive his letter?"

"Well as the report said he was born in France, and I suspect that he was listed for school there."

"Thanks you Albus."

Dumbledore nodded his head in acceptance of the gratitude.

"And how are you holding up Harold? I know this must all come as a shock to you."

"I am fine, still trying to cope that Cassandra was alive all these years." Harold finally muttered with a slight edge to his voice.

"Yes quite shocking indeed. I would have never guessed that your aunt was alive. I was very unsure of the rumors concerning your aunt. She was always such a role model student during her time at Hogwarts, and quiet gifted in transfiguration."

"Albus do you have any idea who she ran off with?" Harold asked curiously, for his father never figured out who dared to court his younger sister without their parent's approval, but then again Cassandra was always a bit strong willed.

Dumbledore slowly shook his head looking thoughtful, "No, I never knew of Miss Potter's attachments. I am however, just as curious as you are as to the boy's heritage."

Harold leaned further back in his chair and placed his chin in his hands.

"It is remarkable at how much Harry looks like a Potter though. He could easily pass as my son."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow at the comment.

"Indeed?"

"Yes…he resembles James greatly. If he was a few years older they may even pass for twins. He has messy black hair, with Cassandra's eyes. He's small, wry, a bit malnourished and pale, but that is to be expected considering the last month he's lived."

"Black hair?" Albus asked curiously, for most of the older part of the Potter family either had blond or brown hair. That included Cassandra and her brother. Harold and James received their trade mark black hair from Harold's mother, and her side of the family.

"Yes…oddly enough." Harold responded thinking along the same lines as Dumbledore.

"Do you think the attack on him had something to do with his heritage?"

Dumbledore sat back into his chair with a thoughtful expression invading his face.

"An interesting question…one which I cannot answer at the present. It is very likely though. Harry did state that both his father and grandfather died presumably murdered. Then his mother dies, leaving the boy to be brought up by his godparents who were later hunted down and brutally killed. Instead of being killed himself, he was tortured for nearly a month and then left for dead." Dumbledore paused frowning in concentration.

"Has he said anything about his ordeal?"

Harold paled dramatically.

"No, and I don't think that I should bring painful memories back up by asking him."

"I agree, we should not question him on specifics until he is ready. He may be able to help solve the mystery surrounding who his grandfather is."

Harold nodded his head in agreement.

"Until then I think it would be wise for me to meet the newest edition to your family." Dumbledore said with a small smile.

"Of course, I would be surprised if you had requested otherwise." Harold acknowledged before glancing off to where Fawkes sat grooming his brilliantly colored feathers.

"Are you free for dinner tonight Albus?"

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled merrily in amusement as he answered, "I would be delighted to dine with you and your family tonight Harold, I do hope that James hasn't any surprises for me though."

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Harry looked down on the young man who was bowed before him. The blonde pureblood was his best spy within the ministry, and was a very reliable source of information.

"So tell me what information have you gathered?"

The death eater did not dare to look up as he replied, "My lord…the ministry is in an uproar about a young boy found a few days back. He was found tortured and barely clinging to life when they rushed him to St. Mungos."

Harry looked down on the bowed head with some confusion playing through his thoughts. A boy? Why would a mere boy interest him?

His long white fingers reached out and grabbed the man by the hair pulling his face up to stare into the dark lord's.

"What does he have to do with my plans?" Harry hissed menacingly down at the now shivering death eater.

"He's a Potter milord."

Harry released his grip slightly, "A Potter you say?"

"Yes…supposedly the grandson of Cassandra Potter."

He's grip on the man's hair intensified ten fold.

"Who?" The question almost came out as an angry hiss.

"Cassandra Potter, Aunt of Harold Potter." Came the yelped response.

Suddenly he released his grip totally and the man's head fell back down, lowering his eyes in fear.

"Crucio!"

The young man withered around on the floor in pain as a scream tore at his throat.

Suddenly Harry's head split open with pain.

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Harold planned on making a quick fire call to his wife to inform her that they would have company, before he returned to finish his conversation with the headmaster.

That was the plan, however as with all plans they go awry.

Harold stuck his head in the roaring green fire and called out his destination, for a minute everything spun around dizzying until his sitting room came into view.

He looked around for a minute but not spotting his wife or son called out, "Sparky!"

Immediately a small female house elf appeared in front of him in a deep red pillow case with a gold P in the middle of it.

"Master Harold called?" The small creature enquired with its' head tilted to the side.

"Yes, Sparky would you please fetch Mary for me, I need to inform her of something." Harold said politely to the young elf, she hadn't been in their services for long and was opt to breaking down at the kindness shown to her.

Bowing the elf disappeared with a small 'pop'.

A few minutes later Harold distantly caught soft quick footsteps heading to the sitting room.

Mary Potter soon entered the room and hurried to the fire place to see what her husband wanted.

"Well hello dear. How is the meeting going?"

"Excellent, Albus will be joining us for dinner in about two hours time, I should be home a few minutes before then." By now Harold's knees were beginning to tire with kneeling on them.

"How did the shopping go today?"

"Fine…Harry seemed a bit peaky so I ordered him to nap until din…"

Before she could finish the sentence an ear piercing shriek of pure terror ripped through the air.

Mary didn't have any time to move before Harold fell through the fireplace, jumping to his feet followed closely by Albus Dumbledore.

The three took of running in the direction of the screaming; the closer they ran to the boys' rooms the louder and more heart wrenching the screaming became.

Harold had only heard screaming like that under one type of circumstance and he redoubled his efforts, sure that his son was being tortured in the next hallway.

Rounding the corner the adults pulled out their wands and rushed towards the open door of the room that belonged to Harry.

Mary tripped over a small table trying to keep up, and cursed angrily as she fell behind the others. Once she regained her feet she noticed that both Dumbledore and Harold were standing in the doorway staring in shock.

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James was laying on his bed thinking about the up coming school year when a blood curdling scream pierced the air.

The scream sounded extremely close, almost as if the person was sitting beside of him.

He quickly pulled open his door and ran to the next room over. As he pushed the door open he paused as he saw his young cousin thrashing around violently in his bed scratching at his forehead. The screaming by far was the worst of it…the sound that came from the boy was one of pure agonizing pain.

James froze in shock. What was he suppose to do? Should he hold Harry down, or should he just go find help?

Glancing back between the door and Harry he finally shakily made his way over to the bed and began to shake the boy in an attempt to wake him.

At the contact Harry began to twist more wildly trying to get away from the hands, kicking out in the process, he caught James in the stomach making the boy double over in pain.

Gasping for air, James heard a small exclamation from the doorway and looked up in time to see the shocked faces of his father and Albus Dumbledore.

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James and Harold locked eyes for a moment as James held his midriff, before Dumbledore finally seemed to come to his senses and rushed to the bed to subdue the still screaming boy.

Soon both Harold and Mary rushed to Dumbledore's side in an attempt to wake the thrashing child, but to no avail. Finally after several more minutes of screaming Harry fell deathly still, his breathing coming in gasps and every once in awhile a muscle would twitch.

"What in the hell was that?" Harold demanded in a shocked voice as he pulled his son to his feet.

All of the Potters looked extremely scared and looked at Dumbledore for an answer. Before the headmaster could respond a soft moan came from the bed drawing all eyes to the pale and sweating boy. For the first time they noticed a trail of blood slowly making its way down the right side of the boy's face.

Weary dull emerald eyes fluttered opened and slowly looked around.

When his eyes landed on Dumbledore and the Potters confusion shone on his face as he attempted to jump out of bed in apparent fright. Grabbing his wand in the process he pointed it at the group looking wildly around as if trying to figure out where he was.

Dumbledore placed his hands up in a comforting gesture as to not scare the child and slowly walked forward.

"It's ok Harry no one is going to hurt you. My name is Professor Dumbledore, and…"

Before he could finish the black haired child's eyes rolled up in the back of his head and he fell forward hitting the nightstand with a sickening thud.

Albus softly levitated the young boy back onto the bed a worried frown marring his usual cheerful face.

Harold quickly pulled James out of the room as Mary walked forward and began to perform diagnostic charms on her cousin.

Dumbledore studied the young boy intently as Mary started healing various injuries. Harry truly did look like a Potter, unnaturally so. He was clearly underfed, and from the bruising still visible on his neck and arms he had taken a real beating if they hadn't cleared up magically after a few days. However, the one thing that stood out the most about the boy was the unusual scar resting on his forehead.

Albus slowly walked forward and gently pulled out the bloody locks away from the scar. The freshly opened wound seemed to pulse with anger as it took the shape of a lightning bolt. The scar clearly was acquired by magical means if the healers were not able to heal it completely. The question now, was if it was a cursed scar, and if so what was its' effect on the boy.

Mary left the room for some medical supplies.

Taking his wand back out, Dumbledore waved it at the scar's direction muttering a little known spell under his breath.

Immediately the area over the scar turned the deepest shade of black imaginable.

Albus' face immediately darkened further. He had suspected that the scar was caused by dark magic, but being proven right still didn't take away the disgust at the fact. Who would subject a child to the darkest of magic was totally beyond him.

He was about to lower his wand when suddenly the black shadow began to take on a red tint around the edges, until the whole shadow was the shade of a ruby. This time the look on the headmaster's face was one of total shock. Blood magic! There were only a select few that knew the secrets of blood magic since it was a mostly forgotten art. Still it didn't make any sense. While some blood magic was classed as the dark arts, there was none known ritual that would leave both dark and blood magic residue.

As he continued to study the boy's face in confusion the lightning bolt slowly began to stitch itself back together, until none wound have been able to tell that it had recently been open.

Harry turned restlessly in his sleep bringing his left hand up to cover the odd scar, and as he did so a glittering light reflected off his ring finger.

Albus carefully study the ring without touching the sleeping boy. As far as he could tell the ring was a simple silver band with something engraved on it. Leaning forward his frown deepened when he saw that the 'something' was a very delicate snake. That alone would not have bothered the headmaster, but the power he felt coming off the ring did.

Reaching out carefully Albus picked up the boy's hand with the intention of removing the ring for a closer look. However, as soon as he touched the boy Harry stiffened up, his eyes started to twitch as if he was in the middle of an intense dream. The headmaster placed his fingers around the band, when he received the shock of a life time…literally.

Albus jumped back and dropped the boy's hand in surprise as a jolt of electricity ran through his body. For a moment afterwards the ring glowed a light gold before returning to its natural silver color. Pulling his hand up to his face he was surprised to see a ring shaped burn on the fingers that had attempted to remove the ring.

Frowning slightly Dumbledore turned back to face the mystery that was Harry Potter as Mary walked back in the room carrying various potions.

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Ok this is the last update for a few days at least, after all I do have two other stories to update, and if i don't do so soon I think I'll have reviewers after my blood :D! Hoped you enjoyed the update! Liked it? Hated it?...Have a question? grins leave a comment and I'll get back to you...

Andrea-


	7. Surprises in the Dark

Albus studied the pallid boy in front of him. Harry tossed and turned in his sleep, kicking the covers off of his legs as he did so. His hair glistened with sweat and he roughly threw his arm over his head, and in the process pushed his wet locks away from his face. The scar stuck out like a sore thumb on the white, childish features, once again causing the headmaster's eyes to narrow.

Leaning closer the piercing blue eyes took in the unusual scar, one that he had never seen the likes of before. Not only was the shape unusual, but the dark magic it reeked of was like none that he had sensed before. Dark powerful magic indeed!

Dumbledore sighed pinching the bridge of his nose as he did so. If he did not even recognize the type of magic used on the boy, then it was sure to be something that is an almost forgotten art, an art that only a few would delve deep enough to learn….some one like Voldemort.

'So Tom took a personal hand in the boy's torture?' Albus thought to himself. 'What did the boy's parents or guardians do to anger Riddle so much? Usually Tom left the dirty work to his henchmen, unless the person had caught Tom's attention. Why did Tom let the boy live?'

Lost in thought Dumbledore rubbed his burnt fingers together, the blistering fingers did not give the headmaster any pain as he continued to ponder.

There were questions to be answered whether the boy was ready or not, for the answers may help them in this war.

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Slowly Harry cracked open his eyes and looked blearily around the darkened room. He vaguely recalled a very strange dream in which Dumbledore was alive.

Rubbing his forehead he let out a slight groan.

The pain in his head was tremendous, but from years of experience he easily pushed it to the side and instead focused on his surroundings.

Where on earth was he?

His thoughts were clouded and sluggish as he looked around the room bewildered. His surroundings were vaguely familiar, but he could not quite place it at the moment.

As he once again placed his throbbing head in his hands the door quietly opened revealing an older wizard.

Immediately the headmaster found a wand leveled at his heart; following the wand's length to the person gripping it tightly, surprised blue eyes met cold calculating green ones.

"Who are you and where am I?"

The voice that asked the question was cold and held an edge to it that Albus didn't know what to make of. Before answering Dumbledore peered even more deeply into the boy's eyes and saw the cold eyes give way a bit…pain and something akin to longing entered their emerald depths.

Speaking slowly and clearly he answered the child's question, and made no sudden movements as to not frighten him.

"My name is Albus Dumbledore and you are currently at the Potter residences."

Confusion flashed across the young boy's features…finally as if a train had hit him surprise and understanding invaded his face. Turning red from embarrassment Harry quickly lowered his wand, and then stashed in up his sleeve.

"Sorry sir, I forgot where I was and just reacted."

The voice no longer held a trace of the ice that had be present previously, instead it now sounded rather sheepish, something that was confirmed as he blushed all the brighter in obvious discomfort.

"Not a problem my boy. How do you feel?"

Dumbledore smiled genially at the black haired child, but his eyes never lost their inquisitive look, a look that clearly stated that Harry Potter was something akin to a new mysterious specimen.

"Fine sir, but a headache relief potion would be welcomed."

Harry grimaced slightly as he spoke, not caring much for speaking at the moment since it was doing nothing beneficial for his pounding head.

Now Dumbledore was somewhat concerned since he new for a fact that Mary had given the boy an all-purpose pain killer not even an hour ago. The potion was fairly strong, and was of good quality, and therefore should still be effective for a few more hours at least.

Ever so gently Albus probed the boy's mind as to not startle him. Of course it was very unlikely that a ten-year-old would know how to detect someone in his mind, but then again after a month's worth of torture, both mentally and physically, it could have sharpened his mental defenses naturally.

Eyes widening fractionally as the extreme pain entered his head, Albus quickly tried to pull back out, the pain was almost crippling in its intensity. Letting out a low hiss of pain Dumbledore brought up a hand and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Harry watched the display with a small amount of concern on his face, for he could guess, even in his muddled thoughts that Dumbledore had tried to look into his mind. Usually he would have had his defenses up, but at the current moment he REALLY didn't feel like they'd help anything, besides appearing not to have shields would be beneficial to him.

Once Albus had regained his bearings he immediately placed his aged hand on Harry's shoulder and quickly led him back to the large, comfortable bed.

"Rest Harry, I'll go get you something for your head. Just stay in bed."

Dumbledore said quietly, his voice full of concern, and his eyes roamed over the boy's features noticing more intently as he did so how sickly the boy looked.

After making sure the child was safely in bed, Albus left the room in search of the potion supplies. Questioning the boy could be left for another day.

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Harry let out a long suffering sigh.

REALLY, he was honestly glad to see a very much alive (and a much younger) Poppy…just not under her excellent care.

After his fainting episode coupled with his crippling headache, Albus insisted that Harry needed some rest and relaxation. How any one could properly rest with Poppy near was absolutely beyond him. Since she had arrived at the Potters two days ago he had not a moment of peace. She had taken one look of him, drove everyone else out of the room, and began to perform a battery of tests.

With each result her face grew darker and darker, and her muttering became more pronounced and critical. Now two days later, he had been pinched, prodded, forced to take revolting liquids and required to endure non-stop berating about his health.

"What were those healers thinking…_honestly_ letting a boy in your condition out of the hospital after only a few days medical attention. Tsk tsk. And taking him to get supplies only the day after he was released…clearly the poor thing over-exerted himself."

Harry from years of experience finally just tuned out the rattle, instead concentrating his thoughts on his current situation.

Truthfully he felt perfectly fine, but they insisted that he stayed in bed until they found out what had caused his collapse, or until Poppy was sure he was in excellent health.

Either way he was going to be here for awhile. There was no way he was going to tell them about his visions from Voldemort…that would go over just spiffy… 'Oh by the way did I tell you that I have a mind link with the Dark Lord and if I didn't know how to protect my mind he could possibly possess me and spy on the Order?' Then he would need to explain how he knew how to protect his mind and of course what the Order was. There was a more likely chance of a snow ball surviving hell in the summer. Harry snorted ruefully at the thought. Apparently he snorted at the wrong moment of Poppy's lecture for she shot him a very dark look and started to eye a particularly nasty potion.

'So much for getting out of bed any time soon.' Harry thought with a sad sigh.

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Looking at the cards worriedly Harry shuffled them in his hands trying to figure out his best move. Finally deciding on one he passed it quickly, and as the card left his hand let out a sigh of relief. He had avoided disaster…this time.

The other black messy haired boy took the card gingerly, wincing at its heat, and then cringing when he saw what it was. Quickly he passed the card to the next boy who was barely paying attention to the game. Sirius took the card without hesitation and glanced down unconcerned.

BOOM!

Both Harry and James jumped in shock and looked at the third member of the card game. Sirius glared back with his singed eyebrows and sooty face.

The impromptu staring match went on for about ten more seconds before the two Potters exchanged glances. Suddenly gales of laughter rang out through the room as they clutched their sides in laughter and the two boys leaned against each other. Breathless from laughing the two wiped their eyes in merriment.

"That's right…laugh it up you two…your day will come." Came the threatening response from the glaring Black.

The statement was said in such a un-Sirius way that the two started laughing all the harder.

Once they stopped chuckling James was happy to note that Harry's face had regained a nice healthy red color, and his eyes seemed light and full of laughter.

It hadn't been until after the fourth day that James was allowed to see the younger boy…well 'allowed' wasn't quite the word for it.

&Flashback&

Harry groaned once again from boredom. Poppy finally decided to leave him alone for awhile so that he could get some 'rest'.

Twiddling with a loose string on his pajama sleeve he heard a slight creak from the door and winced thinking that the over bearing nurse was back again to berate him for not sleeping, like he needed any more sleep!

James peeked around the door believing the younger boy would be sleeping, but to his slight surprise two green eyes stared intently back at him, truth be told a bit of weariness in their depths, which immediately left when they recognized him.

For a moment neither said anything, just sitting staring at the other.

Finally Harry motioned the other boy in with a small smile.

'Finally! Entertainment….at least James won't be falling all over me in worry.' He thought gleefully.

Both the older Potters were walking on egg shells around him, almost as if they thought that if they were too loud he would flip out again.

James however was extremely worried. It's not every day that you walk in to find your cousin convulsing on the floor screaming in agony.

He slowly walked over to the boy's bed a little hesitant for he couldn't rid his mind of the image of the smaller boy in pain. Even though every one insisted Harry was fine James did not truly believe them. Why else would Madam Pomfrey have been here for the last three days tending to Harry? From what he heard her muttering you would assume that the younger boy was on his death bed, and he most likely was…his parents were just trying to spare his happiness by lying so he wouldn't be worried.

For a long moment James studied his cousin. While it was true that he didn't really know the boy, he did certainly like his younger cousin…well his only Potter cousin. He was happy to note that while the boy was still pale and scrawny he had certainly gained some weight while in Pomfrey's clutches.

"Finally! I thought I was going to die from boredom in here!" Harry said exasperatedly rolling his eyes to emphasize his point. "Pomfrey is determined to kill me with all this rest and relaxation…I think I am going crazy just from the lack of noise." Harry rambled on trying to set James at ease, for he could tell that the older boy was a bit uncomfortable. Of course he knew that James had seen him and his fit…something that would freak a grown man out.

The tactic seemed to work and James cracked a slight smile at the obvious jab at the school nurse.

"She always did seem fond of torturing us Potters." James muttered leaning in conspiringly, looking around as he did so as if expecting the mentioned nurse to pop out of thin air.

&End Flashback&

Since then Harry was confined to his bed for another four days until Poppy couldn't honestly say he NEEDED to stay in bed. With out a doubt he would have been bed ridden until September first if it hadn't been for Harold putting his foot down after visiting Harry and finding out that the boy seemed perfectly healthy if not extremely bored.

Harry was pleasantly surprised to find a smirking Sirius at breakfast the first morning he was allowed 'up'.

The last few days it had became very easy for Harry to separate James his father, and James the thirteen-year-old Gryffindor. He just couldn't look to James as a father figure when the prankster was busy trying to suck soup up his nose. The boy was just too young take that image, but he was making a very entertaining, if not immature friend. So when he saw Sirius the first morning the same thing happened with him. Sirius was not his godfather…this Sirius was an immature eating machine, something Harry learned when the dog attempted to steal his eggs after he had already finished his own plateful.

Today was the second day he was allowed up and about and the group decided that some Exploding Snap was in order for entertainment…well after nicking some food from the kitchens of course, which brought them back to the game.

"Honestly Potter…I will obtain my revenge on you in the most painful way." Sirius muttered twisting his lip into a snarl.

Of course this just made the older Potter to laugh louder.

"You do a great impersonation of Snivellus, Black." James said with a smirk.

Immediately Sirius lost his snarl and replaced it with a horrified look and cried out in mock rage.

Harry had to agree with James on that one…the impression was uncanny, but since he wasn't suppose to know who Snape was kept his mouth shut and watched the exchange with amusement.

The fight was about to continue when a young house elf popped in the room.

"Lunch is… to be …served in five minutes…masters." The female elf stuttered out a bit fearful.

Harry frowned a bit at the elf's fear…he had never seen the Potters mistreat their house elves, but then again he hadn't been here for very long.

"Thank you." Harry said kindly and bowed his head a bit in thanks.

The now wide eyed elf jumped a bit in surprise for being thanked by the boy…and what an odd boy at that.

Sparky examined the boy for a minute…there was something off on her new young master…she just wasn't sure what.

"What is your name?" Harry continued when the elf continued to stare at him a bit fearfully.

By this time both James and Sirius were both talking again about some prank or other.

"I is called Sparky, young master." She said a bit nervously…something WAS unusual about this boy.

"None of that master stuff with me, I insist that you call me Harry if you'll allow me to call you Sparky."

"Of course Master Harry, you can call me Sparky as you wish."

"Just call me Harry, Sparky, and thank you for allowing me to use your name." Harry once again gave the small elf a kind smile. Truth told he was a bit amused at the confusion written across her features.

"You is welcomed Mas…Harry." The elf cut off at the title and instead bowed before disappearing in a small cloud of smoke.

Turning back to the walking stomachs Harry poked both boys until they turned to look at him in confusion.

There confusion was put to rest when the boy said one word.

"Food."

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Both James and Sirius rushed to the door and down the hallway before Harry even had time to stand…typical really. Sighing contently Harry slowly got to his feet and made his way to the dining room, but on his way there a voice yelled out from the living room.

"Harry come in here for a moment."

Veering off of his intended course the boy walked over to the sliding doors, slid them open and peered in to the darkened room on high alert for a prank by one of the other boys.

Not even two seconds after he opened the door lights flooded the room and a loud yell erupted from the now flooded shadows.

"Surprise!"

The boy jumped in shock and just resisted grabbing his wand and cursing them all to oblivion.

His confusion and shock must have shown on his face for James happily called out, "Happy birthday Harry!"

&Note&

For the people who read Maximus...my computer is now fixed THANK GOD! Apparently lightning ran in on my modem and I had to go buy another one. Simple enough but I am still plotting ways to get even with my brother...gotta love sibling rivalry ; ). Any ways...hope you like the new update, and for those who read HP and the Chance at a New Life...I will update..soon..I swear..after all I do fear my reviewers...some of them are after my blood &I do love them though& :D. Hope you enjoy THIS update anyways.


	8. Questions

Albus stared at the shocked boy who looked around the room in confusion.

"Happy birthday Harry."

Concentration flashed across his features and then finally settled on embarrassment, almost as if the boy had forgotten his own birthday, but then again one could hardly blame the boy with all that had been going on lately.

Mentally Dumbledore sighed wishing that Harold did not have such a hard head. Both Mary and Harold refused to let him question the boy until they thought the he was ready. Albus really couldn't begrudge them that they wanted to protect the boy and keep him from harm, but the information Harry could provide…could easily lead the war into a new direction if his theory was correct.

Albus watched as the young boy walked around with Harold and met some of the adults present, many of which were aurors that worked with the elder Potter. The boy walked rather stiffly and looked a bit unsure of himself in such a large crowd, glancing around as he walked his hand kept in his pocket.

Albus narrowed his eyes at this odd behavior. Harry acted as if he was suspecting an attack at any moment, something Albus would expect from Alastor not a boy.

Once again Dumbledore looked at the boys left hand catching a glint of silver. Sighing he turned away to talk to Michael Carwin, who was also staring at the youngest Potter.

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Harry stared around the room still in a bit of shock.

A surprise birthday party for him? He hadn't even mentioned when his birthday was to the Potters.

Looking around the small group of people Harry did not know many of them, but guessed they were friends of the Potters. However a pleasant looking boy with neat brown hair who wore a slightly worn jumper did look familiar. Suspicion that was raised further when the boy joined James and Sirius close to the table which was heaving under the weight of food, once again the house elves had out done themselves.

Harold walked over to his cousin and patted him with some affection on the back.

"Happy birthday Harry. Come over here and I'll introduce you to some of our friends."

Harry looked around the group of people before following Harold. Many faces in the crowd were familiar, and he easily spotted the aurors who had questioned him at the hospital.

The adults he met were Augusta and Hadrian Longbottom, Jester Hemingstick, Marcelino Fleming, Osvaldo Emery, Alexander and Ingrad Wettiton and finally Layamon Preyton. As each was introduced Harry nodded politely except for the last man who was staring rather intently at him as if studying him.

"Ah Harry Mr. Preyton was the man who found you and took you to St. Mungo's." Harold said indicating the older man.

Once this was said Harry turned back to the older man with a slight smile on his lips.

"Thank you very much Mr. Preyton for saving my life, for I would have surly died had I not received medical attention when I did."

While this was not really true since he would have healed just fine with his magic, Harry felt that he should still thank the man graciously for helping him out.

"Think nothing of it lad; it's just good to see you looking so healthy and happy." Layamon said with a smile still studying the boy.

The children he was not introduced to since they were all mingling among themselves in the large living room, and eating at the tables.

Once he had finished with some introductions, Mary steered him over to the food table and began to load his plate full of food. Once again Sirius and James could be heard snickering causing the younger boy to blush and glare at where they sat.

After his plate was filled to Mary's satisfaction Harry rushed over to the table and sat next to James.

"Shut it." Harry snapped playfully glaring at his cousin as he did so.

Sirius chuckled at the glare and attempted to ruffle the smaller boy's hair. Amused amber eyes watched the three boys' movements.

Noticing that Remus was watching them James decided it would only be polite to introduce him.

"Harry meet our good friend Remus. Remus this is my mysterious cousin Harry Jacomus Leandros Potter."

"Pleasure to meet you." Remus said with a reserved smile and held out his hand a bit shyly.

Harry took the offered hand and nodded his head in acknowledgement of the boy.

While he did so Remus studied the smaller boy, noticing how pale he was. True he looked amazingly like James except for the startling green eyes set in this fair face. He was quite a bit smaller than the older Potter boy, though he looked as if he had gained weight recently.

Throughout the rest of the meal Harry was introduced to Gideon, Jack, Abigail, Frank, and a small boy named Trevor who all sat around him.

He learned that Gideon was sixteen, Jack was twelve, and Abigail had just turned eleven. Both boys were in Hufflepuff and seemed like kind boys, both had been extremely happy to see him in such better health.

Abigail was small for her age with honey colored brown eyes and light brown curly hair that fell to her shoulders. When she smiled, Harry couldn't help but to notice the cute dimples in her cheeks and the way her nose scrunched up cutely, then he would find himself smiling back at the young girl. Her dress, while not made of the finest materials, was very stylish and made her eyes stand out even more causing them to seemingly sparkle.

Trevor was eight with dark brown eyes and almost black curly hair. Harry soon learned that Trevor was Auror Emerson's youngest son, as the other two were already out of Hogwarts, and he had a sweet tooth for pudding.

Frank entertained the group by playfully joking around with the Marauders and teasing Harry a bit about the upcoming school year. By the end of the meal Abigail had heard many horror stories about the famous pranking group and looked torn between amused and alarmed.

Once the meal was through Mary brought out a fairly large birthday cake with eleven sparkling candles on it.

The cake was a oddly enough was in the shape of a racing broom, nothing fancy like his Firebolt, but it was still a nice looking broom all the same. In neat cursive down the handle was, "Happy eleventh Harry!"

As the cake was placed in front of him Sirius started singing at the top of his lungs and was soon joined by the smiling adults and children.

Harry just gave a slight smile of appreciation at the Potters.

The Dursleys had never acknowledged his birthday before, not that he cared weather they did or not, but it would have been nice to have had this experience before…just _his_ family wishing him a happy birthday.

With that thought Harry's eyes darkened and he felt his heart tug uncomfortably. It was true…his friends who he considered family were dead here, he was truly alone. Even if he did manage to kill Voldemort once again he couldn't guarantee that he would live to see his friends' births, let along actually develop the same relationship he had before.

'Happy birthday Harry,' he thought darkly at the orange flames once the song had finished.

"Well go on, make a wish." Harold encouraged seemingly not noticing the darkened expression on his cousin's face.

Closing his eyes, Harry thought for a moment. What did it matter if he wished; he was already on his second chance. What did he want?

To be free? Harry scowled at the thought for he could never truly be free with Voldemort kicking.

Happiness? Oh to be able to be happy and not have to worry any more about anything.

Yes that was it…he wanted happiness.

Opening his eyes Harry leaned in making his wish as he blew out the candles.

'I wish for the happiness of the future.'

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Harry looked around his slightly darkened room. The party had lasted until well after dinner, during which time the children were left to their own devices and the grown-ups discussed 'grown-up' issues.

Even if his 'peers' were a bit immature he enjoyed his time with them immensely, they played games out side in the July sun, told stories and talked about quidditch.

Abigail had taken a liking to him and followed him around blushing every time he spoke to her. She was really quite cute and amusing when she blushed. Harry was just grateful that Sirius and James hadn't caught on yet that the youngest Preyton liked him.

After dinner Harry was allowed to open his towering pile of colorfully wrapped gifts. Even though hardly anyone knew him there they felt it only polite to buy him a present, and therefore he received as many gifts as his last four Christmas' combined.

The majority of the presents were things like books, cloaks, robes, candy, jewelry, socks (?), and a teddy bear. After he opened a present he would thank the person who had given it to him before opening the next one. Once all his presents had been opened, James, Sirius, and Remus helped him haul it all to his room before they told the guests fair well.

Both Remus and Sirius were going to spend a week more with the Potters to get acquainted with the newest Potter, and spend some quality time together.

Harry was happy to note that Peter was out of the country visiting his grandmother Germany and would not be staying at the Potters at all this summer. He wasn't sure if he could stand seeing his parents' betrayer yet, without breaking his head off in the process.

Sighing Harry laid back on his pillows thinking back on the day.

With a slight smile he drifted off to sleep.

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Harry growled in annoyance, he had to admit it was funny the first few times but after the tenth time it's charm had worn off and now it was just OLD.

Sighing in annoyance he went back to his room to change for the third time that day. Sirius seemed to find it hilarious to dump water on him at random times during the day. Of course he hadn't done it anywhere near where Mary could have seen, but anywhere else was fair game.

He finally found the three outside in the gardens heads together whispering frantically.

When they finally saw him walking towards them they stopped talking and just stared.

Finally Sirius broke into a mischievous smile, his eyes sparkling as if an idea was playing in his head…that was until Remus smacked him in the back of the head wearing a very disapproving look on his face. Scowling back and holding the side of his head Sirius tried his best to look innocent, which no one bought.

After that little display of affection the James and Sirius decided they'd like to go flying. Remus looked a bit put out at their declaration and rolled his eyes a bit.

"Well I'll just sit down here then, I'm sure I can find something to read." The voice held no trace of disappointment, but Harry couldn't help but feel that the boy was indeed disappointed about something.

"I think I'll stay down here with Remus also. I haven't been to the library yet."

Remus perked up at the idea and agreed to show Harry to the library.

At the word library both James and Sirius winced as if he had said a curse word and hurried off to get their brooms.

The Potters' library Harry had to admit was pretty impressive.

Harry scanned the shelves looking for any titles that caught his interest; _The Comprehension of Spirits, The Harmonius Scroll of Nine Rituals, The Thunder of Silence, The Codex of Talismans of Divination, Formulae of the Phoenixes, The Cosmic Wisdom, The Scroll of Invocations, The Aperature of Comprehension._

His eyebrows rose at the rare and old looking tomes on the shelf. He tenderly took an ancient book off the shelf and stared at its' cover, a jewel within a circle cut in half flanked by feathered wings stood plainly on the front cover. Flipping through the book he noted that many of the spells were advanced and well past N.E.W.T. levels, nothing he couldn't handle but they were advanced all the same. As he sat down and began to read he finally noticed Remus staring at him oddly.

"What?" Harry finally asked a bit unnerved by the boy's staring.

"You can read French?" Remus asked curiously staring at the book in the other boy's hands.

Glancing back down at the text Harry could just tell that it was indeed French, yet he understood every wood of it. Most peculiar….

He gave a slight grin over at the still curious boy, "Obviously."

Remus scowled slightly at what he believed to be sarcasm.

"Where did you learn to read French?"

"My godfather…he was French."

"Oh…" Remus blushed slightly and then asked his next question, "What happened to him?"

Immediately Harry's eyes narrowed and Remus blushed even more avoiding his eyes as he did so.

"Let me guess…Sirius and James asked you to question me since you are the most level headed and understanding out of the bunch?" Harry asked in a flat voice.

The old boy visibly flinched, "Was it really that obvious?"

"Yes." He had to fight the urge to smirk at Remus.

"I'm sorry, it's just that they were extremely curious, and…"

"You don't have to explain, what do you want to ask?"

Remus seemed incredulous, "you mean you aren't mad?"

"Not really, I've been expecting something like this since I got here…I am actually surprised that it's taking this long for you to ask."

Once again Remus blushed and Harry couldn't but to grin mentally at his discomfort, for he hadn't seen Remus this flustered except when he walked in on him and Tonks snogging.

"Well we were just curious as to what happened to your parents, and why were you in the hospital?"

Any and all expression left Harry's face and his eyes darkened as he prepared to tell Remus 'his' story. He gave out a soft laugh that was void of any happiness that made the other boy look apprehensive right away.

"Well I guess I should begin from the beginning…my grandmother moved to France after the war with Grindelwald in which my grandfather died. My father grew up in Reims where he met his best friend and brother in everything except blood, Zacharie Blanc. My father married my mother in 61, and I was born in 63. My father…died...before my birth, and my mother died giving birth to me."

Harry frowned here looking a bit guilty but continued on when Remus just stared entranced at the story he was hearing.

"Uncle Zacharie and Aunt Helen took me in as they were my godparents and treated me like their own son. They weren't able to have children of their own, unfortunately…so I was a bit spoilt being an only child and all." Harry smiled fondly at the statement, for it was the farthest from the truth you could go compared to his real childhood.

"Helen was from around here originally so we moved back to this country when I was four, for she missed home as she called it." Smiling sadly Harry continued, "Zach never really liked it here, said that living here would be the death of him, he was right…" Trailing off they sat in silence a few minutes one in deep thought the other in abject horror.

Remus had conflicting emotions on his face, one of pity, uncertainty, and apprehension about what would be said next.

"Death Eaters raided our home and killed both of my godparents, instead of giving me the _pleasure _of dying with my family they captured me and tortured me for a month, before they left me for dead in an over grown field." The venom in his voice was clear as day as he spat the word Death Eater out.

"They never thought that I'd survive and their crimes would be known." Harry said a bit vindictively.

Remus' head was spinning in terror, this boy, Harry…sitting in front of him now was tortured by death eaters for nearly a month? He had seen the only parents he knew killed right in front of his eyes?

Remus couldn't even begin to imagine what the other boy was going through, how strong he had to be to pull through it all.

The brown haired boy looked up, his eyes full of pity for the younger boy.

Harry saw the look and scowled back.

"Do not pity me Remus, for I do not deserve nor need your pity."

The statement was not said harshly, but instead in a soft commanding voice, a voice that Remus could not help but to listen too and nod his agreement.

"I'm sorry Harry; you don't deserve the life you've had." Tears looked like they would spill over the light eyelashes at any moment.

"No one does, but there isn't any use crying about things I cannot control. They will pay in time for their crimes, if not in this life then in their death." The sad voice said with such conviction and certainty that Remus felt definite that the death eaters undeniably would come to a dire end.

Harry changed courses almost immediately, "And that brings us to the here and now."

Remus could do nothing more than nod with sadness still lingering in his face.

Putting his head down Harry went back to his book with a silent sigh of relief.


	9. Born of Snake, Marked by Light

After he had related his 'history' to Remus unsurprisingly Sirius backed off with the pranks and the boys seemed to become protective of their 'youngest' member.

Harry found their protection laughable but at the same time he was honored by it, as it showed that they were beginning to accept him as one of their own.

Once Sirius and Remus left Harry usually alternated his time between studying in the Potter's library and playing with his father.

James had been surprised at how skilled his cousin was on a broom, but loved every minute of match play since Harry presented him with a challenge. Harry on the other hand was holding back, rather enjoying being able to watch James fly about.

He finally understood now why people always told him that he flew like his father. James was an absolute natural in the air, and flew with the ease of an eagle. Many of his moves and his flying style was reminiscent of the skill his own son displayed.

As much as James gripped about school work, Harry was pleasantly surprised when the older boy finished his summer work within days of the departure of his two friends.

Mid-way through August Harold had a meeting with the headmaster and decided to take the boys along so that James could show Harry the ropes. Harry wasn't fooled in the least about the whole 'pre-tour' deal, but decided to play along after all he had been expecting it.

On the 16th the three males flooed over to the headmaster's office before lunch, as they had been invited to dine before the meeting would commence.

"Ah Harold good of you to come, please come in." Albus smiled slightly and motioned the man over towards his desk, standing as he did so.

"My pleasure Albus." Harold said walking over to the older man and shaking his hand.

"James, Harry it's good to see you as well. Lemon drop?"

Both Harry and James took a few (James considerably more than a few) and followed the two adults out of the office and down the stairs. On the way to the Great Hall James pointed out doors to his cousin and gave him advice on how to remember what classroom was which.

Once in the Great Hall Harry was surprised to see many teachers at the main table and hesitatingly treaded after his Uncle Harold. McGonagall stared at him curiously, but her eyes narrowed quickly as she caught site of James who grinned cheekily in return.

"Well fancy seeing you here Professor McGonagall!" James said in a smooth voice taking a seat beside of his professor.

"Indeed Mr. Potter, not shooting for detention, are we?"

James pretended to look shocked at the question.

"Professor I would never dream of gaining detention! Besides how is it fair to Sirius for me to have the opportunity of gaining more detentions than him if I start during the summer?"

Harold coughed sharply and stared pointedly at his son who just stared innocently back.

"Hello Minerva; how are you today?

McGonagall smiled slightly at the older man.

"Extremely well Harold and yourself?"

"Never been better Minerva. Harry come here please." Harold motioned the young boy over and smiled once Harry was standing beside of him.

Reaching down he placed a fond hand on the boy's shoulder.

"This is my cousin Harry Potter, he'll be attending Hogwarts this year."

McGonagall smiled slightly at the black haired child. Harry nodded shyly back and quickly took a seat next to James, Albus smiled at this display before taking a seat on the other side of his co-worker.

As the boy took a seat, Minerva mentally frowned for she had read in the Daily Prophet about a boy found nearly tortured to death by Death Eaters. As far as she knew Harold Potter did not have any Potter relatives. As she began to eat the hearty soup in front of her she promised to ask Albus about it later.

The two boys whispered to each other, and every so often James would point to something and begin to speak excitedly. During this time Harold was enjoying a very lively discussion with the new defense teacher, a young man named Xander Mutton. Mutton was a bit young for teaching, only being twenty two and all, but the boy did know his subject, and that's all that matters.

Harry ran the man's name over and over in his head trying to connect it to anything that he had heard/ learnt that could be negative. Drawing a blank he was satisfied that Mutton was not a Death Eater. The men's current topic of discussion was the rising number of werewolf attack on wizards and muggles alike.

"Well we can't just punish the whole werewolf population in general for the actions of a few!" Harold said hotly.

"I totally agree, but I fear that it will come to that."

James stopped whispering turning his attention to the loud conversation in interest.

Some of the other teacher could be heard murmuring in agreement at Harold's statement.

"Wouldn't oppressing a whole group of people in wizarding society only make the problem more pronounced? After all putting pressure on a closed container will only make it more likely to explode." Harry said calmly.

James looked at his smaller cousin seriously, an expression rarely seen on his youthful face.

Mutton peered down the table curiously, "Why would you say it's more pronounced?"

Harry barely even blinked before answering the offered question, "Well the general wizarding community fears that werewolves and vampires will side with Voldemort. Some of them will, just like there are some wizards and witches who will also. The only thing that is different between the two groups would be the fact that werewolves are cursed, a condition that they cannot help. If you punished both groups there would be a public outcry and possibly an attempted overthrow of the ministry. However if you punish someone simply because they are a werewolf you will cause them to feel even more negative to the community that already treats them as second citizens. Something that will have Voldemort clapping his hands in glee."

As Harry began to talk the rest of the conversations dies down and all listened curiously to the boy. Once he was finished many teachers were staring at him in amazement, for his precise logical assessment. Flitwick was smiling excitedly at the thought of having such an obviously intelligent student in his house.

"Then how would you propose to stop the attacks?" Professor Kettleburn asked in amusement at the boy.

"Well you can't really stop attacks totally from happening, but treating them like equal members of society will make them less likely to turn to Voldemort, or by simply educating the general public. From what I've been reading in the papers, the majority of the attacks occurred from people being outside in the woods on a full moon. Am Ii the only one here who finds that idea none to bright?"

Slughorn looked appalled at the direction of the conversation, werewolf rights were not his cup of tea.

"Werewolves are monsters…they do not deserve to be treated like you and me. Personally I think they should be drug out and executed."

A few agreements were heard among the table, but the majority of the teachers looked uneasy and distressed at such a statement. Harold also looked a bit angry at Slughorn's views.

"Really Horace, would you feel the same if you were the one afflicted?" Kettleburn asked in a tight voice.

"Yes I would, I would have the decency to finish myself off before I had the chance to terrorize the general public." The statement was said with conviction while the pudgy man's eyes flashed.

Angrily James turned back towards Harry with fire in his eyes, muttering under his breath.

"Why doesn't he save the world from listening to his stupidity by drowning himself in his cauldron?"  
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Dumbledore was silent throughout the entire conversation, intent on listening to the boy. He was greatly surprised at the insight Harry held and the way he seemed to be advocating werewolf's rights, something that was not common in Britain. This fact alone interested the headmaster.

Horace on the other hand, Albus was less than impressed with. Dumbledore knew of his potion's master prejudices, but sadly they were those held by the wizarding world in general. Horace was a good man in his own way and a good potion's master, but the man was a bit obsessed with power.

James comment did not go unnoticed by the headmaster and Minerva as well, but both chose not to reprimand him for his words.

As Dumbledore expected since the year before James knew of Remus' condition, and by fault his other friends must as well. It warmed his heart to see the three young boys not reject their friend simply because of his condition. Remus was a very bright and kind boy; it would be terrible to harm him merely because of what he was once a month.

Albus turned his head slightly to look down the table at the smallest boy. Just when he thought that he knew something about the boy, Harry would totally surprise him.

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Once lunch was over Harold dragged James off to go 'exploring' as Harold called it, while Dumbledore led Harry back to his office. James was not fooled in the least by his father's lame excuse, but decided to not push the issue since he figured what his cousin and the headmaster would be discussing.

James was absolutely horrified when Remus had told them what exactly had happened to his little cousin, and honestly he didn't quite know how to act around Harry any more. While to all appearances he was his usual joking self, inside he was always second guessing his words and his actions.

He just didn't want to cause Harry any more anguish than he had already been through. James could barely consider what he would do if he lost his parents, let alone be tortured by his family's murders. In short he just didn't know what to do about his cousin besides offering him as much protection as he could.

Harry followed the headmaster without question, sucking on a lemon drop as he did so. After Albus' death, Ron had found the headmaster's stash of candy and decided it would be a shame to waste sugary tooth enemies and passed out the sweets to the children of members of the Order. Obviously the majority of the candy was Lemon drops, and Harry hated to admit that he was hooked on the muggle candy; they were almost as good as Mars Bars and Blood mints.

Dumbledore hummed softly while he walked along the deserted hallways and gently probed the surface thoughts of his trailing companion with amusement. He had never in his wildest years thought to find a fellow Lemon Drop lover in Hogwarts. The boys' surface thoughts seemed to be occupied with different sweets and surprisingly many of them were muggle, a question to be answered in a few minutes no doubt.

After they entered his office and both were seated, Albus waited a few minutes allowing the boy to study his office to fulfill his curiosity, and Harry was doing just that.

He had never asked Dumbledore what the odd instruments were that lined the tables of the room before he had smashed them in his fifth year, and was extremely curious about them now. For all he knew they could help him in the up coming war with Riddle.

"Sir, if you don't mind my asking, what are those contraptions for?" Harry asked pointing to a table near the window.

Albus' eyes sparkled a bit in amusement for he knew that young Harry was curious, but he had never had a student actually ask him what things were in his office before.

Dumbledore stood from behind his desk and motioned the boy over to the table.

"This is an advanced tracker, currently it is not tracking any one…and this one," Albus pointed out a smoky globe that was sitting on a blue wooden base, "will inform me if there is an important prophecy read. Useful that one…now this one is the rarest out of the collection; it tells me information on certain dark persons in the wizarding community."

The conversation went on like that for a few minutes while Dumbledore pointed out items and vaguely explained their uses Harry would examine it intently and plot on ways that it could be useful in the war. Every time his eyes landed on the smoky globe he would get the urge to break the blasted thing and be done with it. Silently he placed his twitching fingers in his pocket to resist the temptation.

Once all the objects had been covered Albus motioned Harry back to his seat and then headed to his own chair.

"Now Harry I wish to ask you some questions. You do not need to answer any of them if you feel uncomfortable, but I must impress upon you the importance of your answers." Dumbledore said peering over his glasses at the staring child.

Harry slowly nodded, his eyes wide trying his best to look innocent, something he had picked up from the twins and worked rather well on his childish features.

Albus studied the boy for a long moment before he began his questioning.

"Harry can you tell me what happened the night you were abducted?"

The boy immediately paled and his eyes grew wide a bit fearful. Finally Harry let out a tentative nod and began his narrative of events.

While the boy talked Albus listened intently to the story, reading it on paper was one thing, but hearing the terrible words from the mouth of a child was another. He had never doubted that the boy had been held captive and tortured, but the vivid descriptions of certain cruelties nearly cost the headmaster his lunch.

Once Harry had finished the headmaster asked his next question, a question that had been troubling him greatly, "Do you have any idea why they would attack your guardians and kidnap you?"

At the question the boy looked down at his hands before looking out of the window intently thinking.

"No…none at all…my godparents were good people they never wronged a soul." Harry's face fell in sadness, "It's because of me…I'm cursed. Everyone that considers me family ends up dying."

The boy lowered his head to stare at his lap as two tears slowly made their way down his cheeks.

Before the tears could fall a musical cry was heard from the corner of the room and a flaming plumage took to the air flying over to the youngest member present.

Harry stared in surprise at two intense eyes that seemed to bore into him knowingly.

Understanding seemed to pass between the two as the headmaster watched on in interest. Slowly the boy relaxed and Fawkes broke eye contact chirping out notes that sounded both reassuring and scolding at the same time. A slight grin tugged at the boy's lips as he listened to the bird in amusement and a tentative hand brushed the bird's head carefully.

Albus was gob smacked, never before had Fawkes taken so well to a stranger, the bird hadn't even taken to HIM that well on their first meeting.

Pushing his familiar's odd behavior to the side he continued on with his questioning hoping to get some decent answers, "Harry that's a lovely ring you have there, if you don't mind an old man's curiosity where did you get it?"

Harry looked up from the phoenix inhabiting his lap to the eyes of the headmaster. Curious blue met innocent green.

"A family heirloom from my father's side of the family, or so I've been told."

Albus nodded his head at the answer for he had expected something of the sort.

"Would you mind if I examine it?"

At the proposed question Harry immediately stiffened, his hand stilled and he looked at the headmaster a bit defiantly.

"I'd rather not sir, I'm rather attached to it and would feel very uncomfortable with another person handle it, well that and the fact that I can only take it off to give to my first born heir."

The last part wasn't true, but Harry believed it would keep the headmaster from trying to get a close look at the ring, unless Dumbledore was going to encourage him to knock some bird up.

The older man looked intrigued at his answer and was about to ask another question when his office door burst open and in walked Harold pulling a squawking James along by the ear.

For a minute each party stared at the other until Harold cleared his throat and motioned James to the fireplace with a pointed glare. James quickly to a pinch of powder and flooed away, no doubt home to hide from his obviously angered father.

Harold took in Harry's tear stained cheeks and his eyes seemed to darken slightly.

"Sorry to cut this meeting sort Albus, but we really need to head home…a situation has arisen that I need to tend to."

Harry could tell from his 'uncle's' voice that whatever James had done to make Harold this mad would be interesting to hear about later.

"That is perfectly fine Harold, I completely understand." Albus said in a light voice and then turned his eyes back to Harry as Fawkes flew back to his perch and began to primp, "And thank you for sharing with me Harry, your answers have been most helpful."

Harry nodded his head shyly and quickly flooed home before his uncle did.

Albus sat pondering with his fingers steeped thinking about the little information that he had gleaned from the conversation. Not very much he had to admit. His suspicion was growing concerning the boy's heritage, but there was nothing he could prove at the moment, and even if his fears were confirmed the boy was still simply a boy.

Dumbledore was startled out of his thoughts as heavy footsteps were heard clanging up his stairs. Intently he peered through the door and let out a sigh of relief when he recognized the women as none other than Sylvie Wysoka, his current Divination's teacher.

Mrs. Wysoka was a true jewel of a find, although her situation was extremely sad. Sylvie originally came from Poland where she lived happily until her husband was killed in the Second World War, a great blow to the woman for she loved the man greatly. Albin Wysoka died fighting Grindelwald's forces as they wrecked havoic on a town where he lived. The man was stuck from behind, not by magical means, but by a simple muggle bullet which killed him instantly as it ripped through his skull.

Shortly after her husband's death Mrs. Wysoka moved to Britain for a quiet life, and years later she decided to apply for a teaching job at Hogwarts when she became bored with her isolation.

Although she truly was a gifted seer, she had yet to make any significant predictions concerning the future, usually she stuck to who was going to get the flu next, or what was going to be for dinner, things more relevant to her every day life.

The door banged open and the divinations professor walked into the room with a worried expression on her face.

"Something I can help you with my dear?" Albus asked curiously at the expression the lady wore.

"No headmaster…I saw myself here during this time…I don't know why, but I am meant to be here." The sentence was said with a slight accent and in a perfectly calm way.

"Then by all means please make yourself comfortable." Dumbledore said in interest as he indicated a plush armchair in front of his desk.

The small lady took a seat and crossed her hands in her lap, seemingly waiting for something to happen, and suddenly something did happen.

Her face seem to change instantly from confusion to a blank mask and her eyes rolled up in the back of her head, giving the appearance blindness as her eyes clouded over.

A rasping voice broke the air and words poured forth from the parted lips.

"The lion of the earth has been born again,

Snake beware for revenge doth he take.

Blood of the father and mother bend

Serpent and King unite in kith and kin.

The fight already won begins anew

With reprisal from the savior and

By the One, Death of the fiend be pursued.

Born to those now dead and raised by

Those no longer, he shall bring early justice

Before it's time, to the land of his kin.

Granted by Fate, chosen by gods

He will create a new age of wit.

The lion has come! Look for the one

Born of snake and marked by light!"

The voice cut off with a gasp and Sylvie's head lolled forward on to her chest.

Albus sat in shock at what he just heard…a prophecy? A prophecy of the downfall of Voldemort? Quickly Dumbledore rounded the desk to check on his fellow professor, but before he even touched her, her head snapped up and she glanced curiously around the room.

"Sylvie are you feeling well?"

"Yes perfectly fine Dumbledore…and since I have no recollection of what I just did I imagine I made a prediction?" The lady slowly sat up in her chair and began to rub her eyes as they seemed unnaturally dry to her.

Albus stared at her, weighing or not the benefits of telling her or not.

"Yes."

"Very well, just making sure." Mrs. Wysoka seemed perfectly content with the fact, considering she had never been known of making significant predictions before.

"My dear Sylvie…would you like to know the prophecy?"

The small lady seemed to consider it for a moment before shaking her head to the negative.

"No, Albus I'd rather not. If I was meant to know it then I would have remembered it, seeing I have not, I think it would be safer that I didn't." With that said she slowly rose from her seat and exited the office leaving a confused contemplating headmaster.

Suddenly a bright white caught his eye and he turned to look over at the table covered in trinkets. There in the center of the table sat the smoky globe that instead of the usual gray flashed a pure white smoke with brilliant colors flashing through it occasionally. The orb confirmed what he already knew…a new prophecy was just made.


	10. Among The Enemies

During the weeks leading up to their departure to Hogwarts, Harry tended to stick to the library scouring the shelves for any information on why he was here. The fact that he was here really didn't bother him that much since he had already decided to change the out come of the future, but HOW he got here had been plaguing him every since he awoke in St. Mungo's.

While the Potter's library held extensive knowledge, there was next to nothing on time travel or theory, but plenty on rituals and the light arts. The books were very interesting, but not what he needed. He had yet read even a tenth of the extensive library, but he had received permission from the Potters to borrow some books to take to school since they rarely needed them. So it was with a disappointed spirit that Harry packed his trunk for Hogwarts.

One highlight after they got back was the story that James laughingly told to his younger cousin.

While Harold had been showing his still annoyed son around Hogwarts, James had given him the slip using a secret passageway and stealthily stole away to the dungeons.

James had never particularly liked Slughorn, but his comments concerning werewolves during dinner had in James opinion deserved some form of retaliation.

After checking to make sure that the pig of a man was nowhere in sight James preceded to wreck the orderly potions room; up rooting tables, tossing chairs, and smashing potions against the wall. With his scant knowledge of potions James mixed ingredients together that he knew would produce foul smells and placed them in the professor's chair. Finishing it off James wrote 'Bigoted Wanker' in big red ink across the board at the front of the room.

While laughing he turned to leave the room and paused as he caught sight of a very red faced Harold Potter, he cringed as his father started forward and grabbed his ear to haul him out of the room.

Of course Harold had cooled down…after a couple of days, and while he was very disapproving of his son's actions secretly he applauded the act towards the potions master for he simply could not wrap his mind around Slughorn's twisted point of view.

Harold also applauded Harry's words during the lunch at Hogwarts; rarely did one find some one so young that seemed to think without prejudice. He was sure that his cousin would either be in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, and a fine student at that. The boy was as sharp as a knife and showed maturity beyond what one would expect. Hopefully his level-headedness would rub off on his cousin who had a good heart, but tended to be puerile.

On the morning of September first Harry was woken promptly at 7:30 by Sparky.

Even in spite of his kindness to her Sparky still stuttered in his presence and seemed to shy away from him, almost as if he was a dangerous creature.

Once the small elf left, he quickly showered and dressed in some of his causal muggle clothing for the trip to King's Cross.

When Mary had returned to the alley to pick up the rest of their school supplies she had picked up a new pair of glasses at Harry's request. He now sported stylish sliver framed glasses that worked with the shape of his face a good deal better than his old glasses did.

He had decided not to get a pet this year, since he still missed Hedwig and could not bring himself to buy a replacement. James already had a large black owl named Apollo that Harry could use if he really needed to mail something so it was not an issue.

Harry also found a new magical hair gel that actually managed to keep his hair somewhat tame, then again it would be the fact that his hair was much longer than what it used to be. He would describe his hair as shaggy if anything.

While he still looked amazingly like James, he no longer looked like him in that freakish clone sort of way. He could still pass as a brother, but just as likely as a cousin, after all he was in a pure blooded family.

After he was certain that he had everything packed he headed down stairs for breakfast. James was already at the table slowly eating his cereal, looking as if he was about to fall asleep at any moment as his eyes drooped dangerously close to closing.

Harry took a seat across from his cousin just as James head fell forward onto the table. Looking around to make sure no one was watching Harry conjured small pieces of ice and levitated them over the teenager's head. With a flick of his wrist the ice fell down on James exposed back of the neck, erecting a startled yelp as James sat up quickly and began to dig at the ice as it began to slid down his shirt.

Harry began to eat his eggs and kept shooting James odd looks innocently.

James finally went back to his cereal, bombarding his cousin with dirty looks as he did so.

After breakfast Harry helped James pack for school, since he had waited for the last minute to even consider packing it nearly took them the rest of the morning. Finally at 10:00 the Potters flooed to the Leaky Cauldron and then took a cab to King's Cross, arriving at a little past the half hour.

Harry followed James through the barrier without hesitation, and then silently waited beside of the excited boy for Mary and Harold to come through.

The throng of swarming students drew his attention away from the archway, and he absently noted at how many more students there seemed to be now than in his time. Of course he knew some families were wiped out during Voldemort's fist reign, but it was still amazing the impact that was made on the wizard population.

Harry turned, taking a step forward scanning the crowd for Sirius and Remus when he stepped into a passerby and fell back, tripping in the process and roughly landing on the ground.

The girl turned around and looked at him in concern before her face took on a slightly dark expression.

"Watch where you are going Potter!"

Her green eyes flashed and her red hair fell in front of her face slightly.

"What's that Evans picking on a first year?" James asked stepping to his cousin's side with narrowed eyes.

Lily looked shocked for a moment, looking from one boy to the other before stepping forward and offering a hand to Harry.

Harry silently took the offered hand and stood up slowly before brushing off his pants.

"Sorry about that," Lily began with a blush, "I thought you were James Potter."

Harry smiled slightly at the statement before asking, "And you wouldn't mind knocking James down because?"

"A topic for another time, I'll talk to you later." She gave him a slight smile before glaring at James and turning on her heels, hair flicking over her shoulders, and marched away.

"Friend of yours James?" Harry asked in amusement.

The look on the other boy's face was priceless.

"Friends? With Evans? You're absolutely bonkers if you think I'd even hang around with little miss perfect!"

Before Harry could respond Harold and Mary walked up to their sides and began to say their goodbyes. After their brief goodbye Harry followed James to look for a department to sit in. James immediately headed towards the back of the train and to the third compartment on the left-hand side.

Sliding the door open James motioned Harry in after him, but noticed the boy frozen still staring past his shoulder. Turning around he frowned not noticing anything out of the usual…the only other person in the compartment was Peter.

"Actually James I think I'll go sit with some of the kids from the party and catch up." The statement was emotionless, and the boy quickly turned on his heels and marched away.

Vaguely James thought the way his cousin walked looked strangely familiar.

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Harry walked down the corridor looking for an empty apartment and finally came across one about mid-way down. He quickly shoved his trunk in the corner, pulling the door shut he then sat down peering out the window in dark thought. He could feel anger bubble under his skin and magic coursed through his body as if it were adrenaline.

His dark green eyes glared down at his clenched fist as he thought of all the ways he could make the rat die…a very painful, drawn out death.

Taking a deep breath he released his clenched hand and leaned his head forward to rest against the cool glass. As he closed his eyes the train lurched forward signaling eleven o'clock.

He couldn't very well hold this Peter responsible for his Peter's deeds, since technically they hadn't even been committed yet. It would just feel so good to make him suffer for what he would cause…well would cause if he chose the same path. That train of thought calmed him down a bit, but deep down he would always consider Peter a traitor.

Occasionally loud voices would pass by his compartment; the students would take one look at the small first year and move on to find their friends. This suited him just fine, as he pulled out a thick tome and began to read the ancient words.

Something quite bizarre that he had noticed was the fact that he could now read any language. At first he had thought it must be a benefit from his new ring, but even after he took it off he had no problem with different languages.

_The Comprehension of Spirits_ had a deep dark cover, almost black with embroidery on the front. Blue lightning arcing was out of a pentagram which was flanked by flaming swords. The pentagram itself was interesting as the edges were gold, while in between the lines were silver. If you stared closely you could see that the edges of the pentagram were not solid, they were words.

'Penetro totus quod exsisto praecipio , nex illis quisnam operor non belong. Vita quod nex intertwined in unus.'

Harry snorted at the words in amusement for they were simply warning those who did not belong not to read this book. He thought that he could handle whatever was in the book so he opened its' cover to read the browning parchment.

The book was in one word, fascinating. Never before had he read so much on the afterlife and the spirits that resided there.

Harry was shocked to learn that the high spirits had a sort of government, and the second highest spirits, the Fatums, could pass between the realms as he could pass from one room to another. Little was known about the Fatums only that their powers knew no boundary, and that they usually did as they wished. The only spirits that was above them were the Altus filiolus, who only concerned themselves with the world when something went amiss and they had to correct it.

Harry was about to start the next section when his door slide open and a boy with midnight dark hair stuck his head in the room. Piercing blue meet the curious green as both boys studied each other for a moment.

Apparently Harry passed some sort of test as the other boy pushed the door the rest of the way open and walked in, dragging his trunk after him.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" The voice was cold and detached almost as if it was commenting on the weather, but Harry caught a hint of anxiety.

"Feel free to do so."

The boy took a seat across from Harry after storing his trunk in the over head rack.

"Black, Regulus Black." The boy said holding out a manicured hand.

Slowly Harry took the hand marveling over the fact that he hadn't connected the boy's looks with Sirius, both looked startling alike. Regulus had pitch black hair, deep blue eyes, and natural beauty and grace most people could only dream of having.

"Harry Potter."

Regulus slowly took his hand back staring curiously at the other boy.

"I didn't know Potter had a brother."

Harry smirked a bit at the statement, "You're right he doesn't, I'm his cousin."

The other boy seemed to accept this and sat back in his seat seeming totally at ease.

"You are a pureblood, right?" The question was asked lightly as the boy examined his nails.

Thinking back on his cover story he nodded his head to the affirmative.

Regulus gave a slight smile before staring out the window.

The silence took over for about ten minutes as Harry went back to his book. Truth be told he was curious about the other boy, but wasn't about to strike up a conversation with him.

"So what house do you think you will be in?"

Harry considered the question thoughtfully. His gut told him immediately that he would go into Gryffindor with his parents, but that wasn't a definite. He could easily go to any house considering his past experiences, he valued loyalty above all other things, he believed in bravery even in the face of danger, knowing when to keep your mouth shut and what power could give, and lastly the power of knowledge.

"I have no idea."

Regulus looked at him strangely at the declaration.

"Well what house were you parents in?"

"My parents lived in France and went to school there."

"Oh."

"What about you? What house do you want to be in?" Harry asked curiously for Regulus didn't really sound like a stereotypical Slytherin.

"Well my mother and father were in Slytherin and obviously that's where I am expected to go, however I'd rather go to Ravenclaw."

"What about Gryffindor?"

At the thought Regulus looked horrified.

"Absolutely not! I'd be disowned by the family!"

"Sirius is in Gryffindor and hasn't been disowned." Harry said reasonably.

Answering Regulus wore an expression that stated 'yet', "Sirius is the first born; he can get away with more things than I can."

Before Harry could respond the door slid open revealing a head of curly brown hair.

"Harry!" The little girl squeaked excitedly, rushing forward.

Harry smiled slightly as the blushing girl gave him a quick hug.

"Hello Abigail how was the rest of your holidays?"

"Oh they were wonderful! You won't believe what Gideon did the other day..."

And she was off telling him all about the rest of her summer enthusiastically, he had a good time nodding at something she said and laughing occasionally at her hand motions.

Regulus looked on in amusement as Abigail hadn't even noticed him yet.

Pushing a strand of curls behind her ear she turned her head slightly catching sight of the other boy in the room, and jumped blushing deeply.

"Oh hello there, I didn't see you."

Regulus gave his most charming smile, once again reminding Harry strongly of Sirius.

"That's fine, I'm Regulus Black and you are?"

"Abigail Preyton."

"A pleasure to meet you."

Abigail giggled and gave Regulus a big smile which he returned.

After a few more minutes of mindless chit chat, the food cart came by and Harry bought a load of goodies to share with the other two children, and soon they were gorging themselves on enough sweets to give a dentist a heart attack.

Abigail provided prime entertainment as she retold some of the stories she heard about Hogwarts, and more specifically Sirius and James. Regulus seemed amused at the pranks his brother had pulled, and confided that he had never heard the stories before since his parents would disapprove of such childish acts.

When the conductor announced that they had ten minutes before they were due to arrive at Hogwarts Abigail gave a squeal and ran out of the compartment to find her trunk and change into her robes.

Harry and Regulus quickly and quietly changed in their robes, each lost in their on train of thought. Regulus didn't seem at all nervous, to all outside lookers he seemed perfectly at ease, almost as if he had accepted his fate whatever it may be.

Harry was of like mind as he replaced his book, and pulled on his new robes.

His trunk was packed with robes, as Mary insisted that he take extra robes to wear in his spare time, something that he highly doubted he would be doing. While comfortable in a robe he preferred wearing muggle style clothing, even if they were a bit outdated.

When the train came to a stop Harry led Regulus out of the compartment and out to where the first years were gathering. Almost immediately the two were bombarded by the nervous Abigail, who was fiddling with a necklace that wound around her small neck.

When they entered the boats the three were joined by none other than RabastanLestrange. Lestrange was a small boy who looked extremely nervous, huddling close to his cousin Regulus. Harry tried not to glare at the other boy, and instead stared across the lake to where he knew Hogwarts would appear.

As the majestic castle appeared from behind the hill many gasps of wonder were heard from the first years. The castle's windows were lit in all their glory as if they were beckoning to on lookers, drawing them near.

Harry couldn't help but hold his breath at the beauty of what he considered home. He could have sworn that he felt a brush of magic stretch out from Hogwarts and brush against his check gently, causing him to smile.

Before he knew it the students were standing nervously inside the Entrance Hall waiting to be called in for the sorting.

Whispers as to what the sorting involved swept the students and Harry had to smile at the creativity of some of the theories.

The leading theory was that they would be forced to fight an unknown creature with swords. How that would give them their house was beyond Harry.

McGonagall finally led the first years into the Great Hall.

The students at the tables turned slightly to look at the nervous first years. James caught Harry's eye and gave him a cocky smile and waved a bit. Harry nodded back and noticed the other Marauders watching him, in particular Remus. Sirius was busy staring at his younger brother, with an odd expression on his face, a mixture between contempt and hope.

The students' whispering died down when the slightly younger (in Harry's opinion) Sorting Hat opened its brim and began to sing the new sorting song.

The song was nothing special as he had heard many of them before, and he discretely looked around at the students that were so familiar but at the same time different from the people he knew.

Harry didn't really pay any attention to the sorting until Regulus' name was called.

The dark haired boy strolled confidently forward and took a seat on the stool.

The sorting hat took nearly a minute before it yelled out, "SLYTHERIN."

Regulus walked over to the green and silver table with relief written across his features. A pretty blond haired girl waved him over next to her and he quickly took the seat, while the clapping died down.

Lestrange also went into Slytherin.

Several other children were sorted and many seemed happy with their houses, some where shocked, and one or two seemed disgruntled.

"Potter, Harry."

Harry walked nervously up to the stool and took a seat. The last thing he saw before the hat fell over his eyes were the brown eyes of James.

'Ah what's this, a Potter eh? Wasn't expecting another one quite so soon.'

'Well yes I am a bit early.'

'I can see that dear boy, a bit before your time…interesting, very interesting.'

Harry frowned at the odd statement for it sounded amazingly like something Olliavander would say.

'Yes now where to put you…'

'Gryffindor?' Harry asked hopefully.

'You are certainly brave enough, but you don't belong there now. However Ravenclaw would be an excellent choice. I can see you've improved your mind greatly since your last sorting.'

Harry thought for a moment, while he didn't exactly fit in with the average Ravenclaw they'd be alright.

'I stand by my original statement. You would have done well in Slytherin, even more so now.'

'WHAT? NO!' Harry thought frantically.

"SLYTHERIN!"

Harry took off the sorting hat not letting the shock he felt show on his face, and looked into his father's face.

Total shock took over the Marauder's features, as clapping erupted from the Slytherin table.

Regulus grinned widely and waved him over to the empty seat beside of him, Harry swiftly made his way over to the seat and sat as the clapping stopped.

Black patted him on the back smirking.

Harry looked across the table and his eyes met the cold grey eyes of a seventeen year old Malfoy. Lucius inclined his head slightly and Harry did the same before looking around at the Slytherins. His stomach dropped as he realized everyone sitting around him was or was going to be a Death Eater.


	11. Only for the Firstborn

Once the food had appeared Harry slowly began to load his plate, still under the scrutiny of Lucius Malfoy.

Regulus, while being reserved, seemed totally at ease with these people.

The pretty blonde studied him for a moment before holding out her hand to the first year, "Narcissa Black, fifth year."

'Oh my GOD! It's Malfoy's mother!' Harry thought trying not to let the disgust show on his face. He now could see the resemblance between the teenager and the woman he saw at the world cup before his fourth year. Harry took her hand and gave it a quick shake.

"I've never heard of any Potters other than Harold Potter and his wife and child," Lucius said 'child' with disgust, "are you related to Harold by any chance?"

"Yes he's my third cousin."

"Ah so you are a pureblood?" The question was asked lightly but his eyes were intent.

Harry didn't hesitate before answering, "Of course."

Lucius smiled slightly, "Welcome to the noble house of Slytherin Potter."

Giving a slight smile back Harry looked down at his plate.

As he returned to eating his meal he noticed two dark eyes glaring at him from down the table. Long dark, oily hair hung around the pale face, a scowl taking its place on his lips.

Regulus seemed to notice the boy's glare as well, but it was Narcissa who commented, "Don't worry about Snape. There's bad blood between he and James Potter. If he knows what's good for him he'll keep his alliances."

"Alliances?" Harry asked curiously.

"You are in Slytherin now, we take care of our on at Hogwarts."

He kept his mask fully in place as he tried not to cringe.

"I'll introduce you to him later." Regulus whispered before taking another bite of his steak.

"You know him?" Harry asked curiously for he never thought that Regulus knew Snape before Hogwarts because he was a half-blood, but it did make sense. Prince was a very old and powerful family."

"Yes, Severus was Sirius' childhood playmate."

"His playmate?"

"Yes mother and father hand pick who we are allowed to associate with before Hogwarts, they are very selective. While I had two playmates Sirius only had Severus."

"Then why do they hate each other now?"

"Simple…Sirius is in Gryffindor and Severus is in Slytherin. We don't mix, at least not in school." He almost sounded sad, but then again it could be a trick of the ear.

"Where does James play into all this though?"

"Potter is my brother's best friend and he hates Slytherin. He's pretty much hated Severus since the moment he laid eyes on him."

"So Snape hates James because he turned his best friend against him?"

"Would seem so."

Harry looked down the table once again at the third year with a new comprehension in his eye.

After dinner the marauders seemed to disappear before the final word left the headmaster's lips. Sighing Harry and Regulus followed Narcissa, who was one of the prefects. The other prefect was a tall boy with immaculate brown hair that was slicked back in a way reminiscent of Draco Malfoy.

"First years over here NOW!"

The unknown boy smirked as many first years scuttled over, looking unsure of themselves, their eyes shifting back and forth.

Narcissa smirked and playfully slapped the boy on the arm.

Once the majority of the children were there the boy sneered out, "Right…let's go."

The first years walked out of the dinning hall and to the dungeons. When they reached the entrance Narcissa turned to the staring children, "Listen carefully because I am only going to say this once. The password is 'Grindelwald.' Remember don't forget it."

Harry and Regulus made their way to the first year's boy dorm at the top of the stairs with Rabastan Lestrange, Phineas Yaxley, Charlus Rosier following quickly behind.

The dorm was much more munificent than the Gryffindors' dorms, and clearly reeked of wealth and refinement.

Rabastan quickly retired to the bed with his trunk at the foot of it and pulled the curtains for some privacy. Harry frowned as he noticed that his bed was right in between Regulus and Yaxley. Being surrounded by two future death eaters while he slept was not a very comforting thought.

Sighing he quickly changed for bed, dreading facing James tomorrow.

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James quickly left the Great Hall, the Marauders right on his tail.

"James wait for me!" Peter exclaimed shrilly, running to keep up.

The messy haired boy grunted in annoyance before taking off at a sprint, putting space in between himself and his friends. Soon he only heard his feet pattering against the cold stone, so he slowed before coming to a stop and sinking to the floor.

"How?" He whispered unsurely out.

James leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes with a sigh.

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"You think he's ok?" Sirius asked leaning back on his bed with his curtains wide open.

"Who?" Peter asked in confusion.

The black haired boy rolled his eyes in annoyance, "Honestly Peter who do you think? The merry witch of Hogsmead?"

Remus did not look up from his book as he answered Sirius' previous question.

"I think he'll be fine Sirius, he just needs some time to let everything sink in. Just because Harry is in Slytherin hardly means he's evil."

Both Peter and Sirius looked at Remus as if he had sprouted an extra head.

"Um Remus are you feeling ok? You know the whole Slytherins aren't evil think?" Sirius asked half-seriously.

"Of course they're evil, look at Regulus."

Sirius turned a deep shade of red, the displeasure was plain to see on his face.

"He's not evil!" The statement was snarled and the boy quickly jammed his curtains shut with a loud snap.

Peter looked over at his other friend, who still had his nose in a book, "What? Was it something I said?"

Remus simply sighed and rose from his bed, taking his book with him and went to the common room. Luckily for him it was already deserted so he curled up on the couch in front of the fire.

Hours past while he read his book and finally near midnight the portrait creaked open and James stumbled in, sleep clouding his vision.

The boy didn't see his werewolf friend until Remus cleared his throat causing the black hair boy to jump.

"Remus! What are you doing still awake?"

"Just waiting on you James." Amber eyes peered intelligently at the other boy.

James avoided the other boy's eyes, "Oh, thanks Remus, but you really shouldn't have. You still look tired from you last illness."

"So do you want to talk about it?"

James face twisted, darkening slightly.

"What's there to talk about? Harry's in Slytherin."

"And?" Remus pushed.

"I…don't know how could he end up there?"

Moony looked thoughtful for a moment before he spoke.

"James if your parents were killed right before your eyes and you were tortured for a month what would you do?

James looked angered at the very idea.

"I'd kill them…they would pay dearly…revenge would consume me." There was no hesitation in the answer; it was stated simply as a fact.

"So you would have ambition?" Remus asked lightly.

James looked sharply at his friend, realization dawning.

"Yes you could word it as that."

Remus leaned forward and whispered, "What better place to start revenge than among the death eaters' children?"

Potter's eyes widened.

"That would have to be the most cunning thing I've ever heard."

"Yes." Brown hair nodded in agreement.

"You think he requested to be placed in Slytherin, even knowing how we feel about them?" Asked a shocked voice.

"Hate is a very powerful motivator. James if you had the summer Harry did right before your sorting where do you think you would be sorted?"

James looked slightly repulsed as he answered, "Slytherin."

"Right, I would be too. And what courage it would take to be sorted there and know your family would reject you for it!"

The youngest Potter looked mildly ashamed and bothered.

"What about Sirius?"

"I think he'll be fine. He seemed rather bothered when Peter said something about Regulus."

"What about Regulus…what should we do about him?" James asked.

Remus' expression did not change as he replied, "Nothing. We haven't even met him, the only thing we know about him is from what we've learned from Sirius."

James turned slightly red, "Sirius wouldn't lie to us!"

"I never said he would, but at the same time Sirius is blind when it comes to his family."

James just nodded his head in agreement before sighing.

"Let's just go to bed…knowing our luck we'll have McGonagall in the morning."

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Over all just as with the Gryffindors the older Slytherins tended to ignore the first years. Actually they ignored anyone under fourth year, unless they were related or they wanted something.

On the first morning Harry rose early, bathed and dressed then waited for Regulus to get ready before heading to breakfast.

As Harry led the way and didn't get lost once, Regulus considered taking Harry's comment about having a photographic memory seriously. They hadn't been sitting long at the Slytherin table when Abigail ran over and threw an arm about each boy's shoulders. Regulus looked mortified while Harry was simply amused.

"Preyton GET OFF!" Regulus hissed looking around hoping no one was looking at him.

"What?" The small girl asked innocently.

"Honestly Hufflepuffs." The boy grumbled.

"Fine, I'll talk to Harry then." The girl said with a glare and sat down on Harry's other side and began to eat, talking a mile a minute.

Thirty minutes later Gideon and Jack walked in and said hello to their little sister and Harry. The two boys stayed and talked a few minutes and when they finally left Harry noticed that the marauders were watching him.

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The next morning James groaned groggily as Sirius pulled the nice warm, comfortable covers off of him.

"Arggg Sirius get off…I need sleep." The messy haired boy muttered pulling his pillow over his head in annoyance.

"Fine, but don't blame me when you are hungry, have no schedule, and are late for class."

James glared at his best friend, "Fine I'll get up, but I don't have to be functional!"

"Come on even Peter is already up and dressed." Sirius whined, "James I'm hungry!"

James jumped out of bed, dressing quickly before running his hands through his hair, making it even more messy.

Both boys ran out of the dorm room and downstairs to the common room where both Peter and Remus were waiting.

As they walked down to the Great Hall Peter talked about Germany. Apparently every since the end of WWII the Ministry of Magic in Germany had pretty much been in shambles. They were just no really getting back on their feet, but the general public just ignored them so they really had little power. So Peter pretty much spent the summer with his grandmother teaching him some of the older family spells, since the British Ministry could not trace underage magic out of the country.

The four walked in and quickly sat down. Three out of the four boys looked over at the Slytherin table.

"Look's who's sitting with them!"

Peter looked up from his plate.

"Who's that?"

"Abigail Preyton and the two boys standing are her brothers." Remus answered buttering a piece of toast.

Noticing the yellow crests Peter asked another question, "What are Hufflepuffs doing talking to them?"

James frowned slightly before pushing his plate away and staring at his friends.

"Listen…we're not going to treat Harry or Regulus any differently than we did before they were sorted into Slytherin."

Peter and Sirius looked shocked, but the later looked a bit relieved.

"We what?" Sirius asked as if he hadn't heard his best mate correctly.

"But they are Slytherins!" Peter exclaimed shrilly.

James glared back at them, "I don't care! You heard me!"

Sirius didn't say anything, but Peter nodded, blushing a bit and lowering his eyes to his plate.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Harry and Regulus looked up as Slughorn coughed behind them.

"Well Mr. Potter, Mr. Black the family friendship carries on I see. Excellent to see both of you in Slytherin."

"As if we'd be placed anywhere else professor!"

Slughorn chuckled slightly and passed them their time tables.

Both boys immediately began to study their timetables.

"Well we have double charms, lunch, history of magic, and defense against the dark arts." Regulus said with a grin.

"Come on we only have twenty minutes before charms and we still need to get our books and find the class." Harry stood from the table, nodding his farewell to the Marauders across the hall.

"I'm surprised that Sirius wasn't glaring at me all through breakfast like I though he would be." Regulus muttered in a low voice as they walked back to the common room.

"Did you think that he would reject you because of your house?"

Black didn't look at Harry as he answered, "Of course. It is better for Sirius to hate me than for my parents to."

"Why's that?"

"Sirius is in Gryffindor and I doubt he'd seriously harm me. My parents on the other hand would not have any such qualms."

"Are you saying they'd kill you?" Harry asked shocked for his godfather had always spoke about how much his mother favored her second born.

Regulus looked at hi from the corner of his eyes, "I didn't say _that_ but Sirius is the first born."

"Then what did you mean by it?"

The long black haired boy looked slightly uneasy, "It doesn't matter, forget that I ever mentioned it. Let's hurry or we'll be late for charms."

Regulus sped up along the narrow corridor.

Harry stared at the tensed shoulders.

Why was the boy being so trusting in him?


	12. Classes and Lily

Harold sighed as he sat down at the breakfast table. The house seemed depressingly empty without the boys there causing their usual mischief.

"Something wrong love?" Mary asked curiously looking up from her breakfast.

A charming smile tugged at his lips as he winked suggestively at his wife, "Oh nothing, just thinking about how peaceful, private, and happy life will be until Christmas."

Mary waved away his comment with little more than a slight blush.

"You are already missing them." She stated.

"Indeed I do. I can never say life is boring with James around."

Mary rolled her eyes in slight exasperation at the statement.

"I can't argue with that. Over all he is a good boy." She smiled fondly as she finished the sentence.

"I'm glad that he'll have Harry this year though, level headed for one so young. Maybe he'll teach James a thing or two." Harold grumbled playfully as his wife smacked his arm.

"Do not try and fake innocent Charlus Harold Potter, I happen to remember clearly who bought our son his first prank kit and books."

"Yes but he was a child then."

"Harold he is still a child." Mary declared with her brow wrinkled.

The middle aged man sighed sadly, "My love, we are at war, maybe not officially, but it is coming. In these dark times little time is allotted for innocence, it is time they grow up."

"Can't we let them be for just a while longer? Mary asked tears welling in her eyes.

"If it was up to me they would be innocent forever, but the world will not let them be…look ay Harry."

Mary nodded silently before brightening ever so slightly, "I wonder what house he was sorted in to."

Harold smiled broadly.

"Gryffindor!" The answer came immediately and forcefully.

Mary smiled slightly and said in a humoring tone, "Now now Harold your Aunt was a Ravenclaw as was your mother. We don't know who Harry's grandfather was. For all we know he could end up as a Hufflepuff."

"A Potter in Hufflepuff! Unheard of I tell you."

Mary laughed lightly at her husband's tone.

"True he doesn't seem like a Hufflepuff. I have my money on Ravenclaw."

Harold rolled his eyes while taking a bite of buttered toast, "Yes dear…you just think so because it's your old house."

His wife rolled her eyes, "Just be grateful I was a Ravenclaw and didn't take after MY family.

"Point taken dear. Well luckily James didn't…did you hear that?"

Harold broke off in the middle of his sentence, head cocked to the side listening while his hand went to his wand.

_Rap rap rap._

Mary quickly got to her feet moving to the kitchen.

"Forgot to open the window for the post."

A few minutes alter she re-entered the room and handed her husband a few letters while she read a letter written in emerald ink.

A surprised gasp brought Harold out of his reading and he quickly looked up eye brows rose in question.

"What's wrong dear?"

"Well he's not in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw…" Mary trailed off with her eyes a bit wider than usual.

"How the hell did he get into Hufflepuff?" Harold asked flabbergasted.

Mary looked a bit nervous before answering, "He didn't. He took after my side."

Harold's eyes became big with surprise.

A Slytherin? But how?

He wasn't really concerned that Harry was a Slytherin, just who was in Slytherin with him.

His eyes grew dark as he thought of the soon to be death eaters sleeping in the same dorms of who he considered a son.

"Calm down Harold it will be ok…"

"I'm just concerned about his safety. The Dark Lord already has shown his interest in the boy, and now he is thrust right in the middle of the groveling pack. That boy sure inherited the Potter's tact for trouble."

A shaky hand ran through the graying hair in frustration.

"I don't know what to say, but from experience the safest place to be is among the enemies."

Harold nodded in frustration, eyes still dark, "I'll still talk to Albus about security for Harry."

Mary nodded looking back at the letter in her hands.

"Well at least Horace is his head of house." She said ruefully.

She smiled slightly at the answering groan.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Harry slightly led the way to the charms classroom, making sure to get lost a few times for appearances sake. Regulus was content to follow the slightly shorter first year and to study the older students as they made their way though the throng.

"Harry!"

Harry paused and looked around, his eyes landing on the stout fifth year walking through the crowd to the waiting first years.

"Well hello Frank!" Harry said with a smile.

Regulus and the older Gryffindor stared curiously at the other.

"Frank this is a friend, Regulus Black, Regulus this is Frank Longbottom fifth year Gryffindor."

Instantly some of the distrust left the usually friendly round face, as eyes studied the first year.

"Sirius' brother?"

At the slightly curious nod Frank grinned widely.

"Excellent," the older boy looked down at his watch and his eyes widened comically, "sorry, but I've got to run. Do you two know where you're going?"

At the nod of Harry's head Frank grinned widely and took off down the hall at a quick pace.

"Your friends are awfully cheerful." Regulus said in a slow draw.

"Indeed! Come on…" Harry replied with a grin, taking off down the corridor.

Regulus scowled slightly surprised to walk into the classroom and see for the most part empty seats. Harry led him to the right side of the classroom and took a seat taking out his book, parchment, a quill and ink well, a movement soon copied by the other Slytherins.

As Harry noticed the other Slytherins present copying his moves he raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Harry studied the students and was amused to see that they were placed with the Ravenclaws, the exact reverse of what it had been when he was a Gryffindor. He was surprised to note that the Slytherins and Ravenclaws were intermingling and actually being civil.

Harry leaned over and whispered a question to Regulus, "I thought all the other houses hated Slytherin?"

Regulus snorted slightly smirking.

"Yes and no…from what Narcissa has told me, Ravenclaws and Slytherins have mutual respect for the other. We really are similar…clever and sly, power and knowledge. They are just as ambitious as we are; they are just more concerned with books."

Harry nodded listening intently.

"Gryffindors for the most part hate us. That's one reason I was surprised Longbottom was so friendly." Regulus paused pushing his hair away from his face.

"And Hufflepuffs are Hufflepuffs…loyal to a fault."

Harry laughed slightly at the description of hardworking loyal puffs.

"They have their good points."

Regulus grumbled something that suspiciously sounded as if it contained 'Abigail', but before he could question the boy the small professor called the class to order.

Harry smiled slightly as the Professor started the class by calling the roll.

He listened intently to the charms professor picking up right away the tone difference between how he talked to this group and the way the Gryffindor/Hufflepuff class. Not that Flitwick was unfair, but he seemed more excited about teaching his own house.

Regulus grimaced slightly half way through the class and stretched his cramped hand. The notes took up several feet of parchment and since they were first years none of the students knew the simple copying charm taught in third year.

Pausing in his note taking Harry was a bit disgruntled to see Lestrange sitting behind him with another Slytherin boy that was still unknown to him.

Maybe it was the fact that he knew Lestrange personally when he was a Death Eater, but every time he caught sight of the boy he wished to curse him on the spot. The urge was not as strong as when he saw Peter, but it was still present.

The boy was actually small for his age, pale, and seemed skittish around the other children. So far the only person Harry saw the boy associating with was his older brother, who did seem like a nasty sort.

Harry's scar twinged painfully causing him to wince slightly. As quickly as he could he slapped the strongest mental shields in place that he possibly could. Soon the pain dulled to a slight throb, and he went back to his notes.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"My Lord I have received news from my son at Hogwarts."

A slightly bent figure said, platinum blonde hair falling out from around his mask and hood.

"Abraxas…what tidings is that?"

Voldemort leaned forward on his throne and stared down at the man.

"The boy was sorted in Slytherin my lord."

Voldemort gave a slightly feral smile and then leaned back into the chair stooping his fingers in front of his face.

"And what other news concerning the boy's imprisonment during the summer?"

The masked face twisted in a grimace and his body stiffened before he answered.

"We have mad no progress. None of the Death Eaters have claimed the capture of the Potter boy. Perhaps if I could be so bold as to suggest that it was the work of another."

Red tinged eyes glared at the man in thought. Although he had not personally questioned every single one of his Death Eater he was almost certain that his servants had not gotten hold of the boy. If they had he would have known straight away because the sniveling idiots like to boast about their deeds as if they were important.

The Auror report clearly stated that the boy was tortured with dark curses and unforgiveables. Whoever had captured the boy would be a valuable addition to his followers. Few of his current servants liked to get their hands dirty…they lacked a certain flair and love for the tortured' screams.

"Rise."

The black figure swiftly rose and stood in front of his master.

"Find out who did capture the boy and recruit them to my service. If they refuse…kill them." Voldemort hissed out smoothly, watching the blonde in front of him.

Abraxas bowed slightly in acknowledgement.

"Oh, tell your son to watch over Potter and if it is possible…sway him to our side. A Potter would make a nice addition…" Thin lips pulled together in a sadistic smirk.

"Yes my Lord."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

The first few weeks of school went over famously for Harry.

Slughorn had been absolutely ecstatic over his potions work, declaring him a complete natural and saying he was granted his grandmother's potions skills.

The pudgy professor rewarded him more than a few points, much to his fellow Slytherins pleasure and the Gryffindors disdain.

Somehow Snape had heard about the incident and considered it as another reason to hate him. Surprisingly however, the pallid boy did little more than glare and occasional make a snarky remark. Harry wasn't sure if Snape feared retribution from the Marauders if he messed with Harry, but the boy kept clear of his way.

Some of the other Slytherins clearly disliked him as soon as they heard the name Potter, but they simply glared also. Truth told Harry found the whole situation odd but could not put his finger on what was causing their behavior. Surely the older students weren't fearful of the wrath of four third years? Well three…Peter was a complete idiot.

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Minerva McGonagall seemed impressed with how quickly he caught on to her subject, and the quality of his work. She told him after a lesson that she really shouldn't be too surprised since the Potters were known for their natural transfiguration skills.

Regulus was actually quite good in transfiguration also. Once he gained control of his magic he would be a fairly powerful wizard. He would have had been to bypass all of Voldemort's obstacles and destroy the Slytherin locket.

The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was a young man named Armando Balaz who had a quick wit and an even sharper tongue.

He was a graduate of Beauxbatons who was in England on a teaching abroad program, or so the story went. Personally Harry thought there was more to the man being there than strictly teaching, but he couldn't think of what.

Balaz was tall, well muscled, with long black hair pulled back in a tie with naturally tanned skin, and dark green eyes. He spoke smooth accented English while his eyes would sweep the room making sure his pupils were paying attention.

As an instructor he was more than adequate and for the most part fair to all the houses. The antennary for the year was pretty much the basics of defending yourself, book work and they weren't even touching their wands until after Christmas, when they had some of the casting basics down. His class was spent between taking notes and sword play.

Most of the students were confused by the simple sword exercised, but Harry saw the value it would prove later in dueling. Not only would it keep the students in shape, but it would also teach them to move their feet and not rely so much on shields and transfiguration. Many of the male purebloods had had basic training with weapons, but Harry had never had that experience.

The whole second class period was spent on sword safety and basic handling of the weapons. Even thought they had only touched the swords twice Harry thought that he'd be fairly decent with a blade.

Over the first few weeks Harry and Regulus would spend their afternoons in the library finishing their essays and school work. On occasion Remus would join them and see how things were coming along. The friendly werewolf took an instant shine to Sirius' younger brother, or at least Harry thought he did.

Harry was amused to catch Slughorn glaring at James more than once. It would seem that he knew exactly who had destroyed his office during the summer, not that there were very many culprits to choose from in the first place. For his crime Slughorn tried to give James a month's worth of detention, but since it was committed during the summer and the potions master couldn't 'prove' that James did it, the boy was let off scott free. At least now Harry knew why Slughorn never liked his father.

His mother however he had yet to properly speak to, and it would look odd to seek her out for company. He had vaguely referred to the red head in front of Remus who told him that Lily usually finished her work in the dorms and once the majority of the students cleared out of the library she would then come in to do her reading.

Remus' words gave him an idea, and so on the second Friday found Harry waiting in the advanced charms section for the appearance of the red head. He had left Regulus in the common room playing a game of exploding snap with Moon and Lestrange.

Harry scanned the books for anything interesting before pulling out an ancient book out of his bag and flipping it open to his book mark. He had finished _The Comprehension of Spirits_ the week before and decided to start a more in depth study on the darker spirits mentioned in the book, which led to his current read, _A Treatise on Theurgy_ by Grimoire Varotham.

The old black leather book had a simple white star on the front that seemed to ooze blood which ran down the cover. The book looked dark and dangerous and in the wrong hands it could be extremely dangerous. The whole text was written in Latin while the spells and rituals our lined went even farther back than the Roman Empire.

A small sound of shuffling feet brought him out of his reading, looking up he caught sight of the young red head walking towards him, browsing the shelf as she went.

"Well hello there."

Lily looked startled for a moment before catching sight of the boy leaning against a shelf in the shadows.

"Who's there?"

Harry smiled slightly and walked out of the shadows closing his book as he did so.

"Potter?"

"I'd prefer Harry actually."

Lily gave a slight smile as he gave her a friendly smile.

"Lily Evans of Gryffindor."

"Yes I know…the noble house of the lions."

The pretty red head snorted.

"More like arrogant, immature imbeciles. Why that Ja…" She cut off in the middle of her sentence and looked at the younger boy.

Harry smirked slightly wondering what his father did now.

"What did James do?"

Secretly he was amused to see how flustered his mother became when James was mentioned. He knew from Sirius that his father first started protesting his love for Lily in their third year, but not until the end. However, Harry had not expected to find that Lily also liked James this soon in their lives. To him the signs were as clear as day as he watched the two.

Lily turned red with frustration just thinking about Potter.

"That arrogant prat thinks he can simply jinx anyone and get away with it…"

"Severus Snape?"

Sharp green eyes swiveled to his innocent ones.

"The one and the same."

"Lily trust me…if Snape had an open shot at James' back he would take it. There's more bad blood between them than simply a house rivalry."

"Yes but he should be the bigger man and just ignore Snape."

Harry chuckled a bit causing Lily to glare at him.

"I'm not going to argue with you, but I can say from experience that Snape would still seek revenge. True I think that James shouldn't be wand happy, but he should be able to defend himself. Letting someone smack you on the cheeks leaves you with nothing but a sore face, while their ego expands."

Lily made a noise of disagreement but didn't say anything. She looked around curiously and then at the book in his hands, "Why are you in the advanced section?"

Harry smirked slightly at her, "Reading."

Her eyes narrowed at his comment before she rolled her eyes.

"Why are you in the advanced section, you are a first year."

"And you are a third year."

"Fine!" Lily muttered and turned on her heels, flicking her hair over her shoulders and marching away, leaving a smiling boy behind.


	13. Chapter 13

With the larger number of students at Hogwarts during his parents' time many of professors had assistants or some even split teaching responsibilities such as in Defense. While Professor Balaz was physically tough on them in class, out of class they rarely had essays; usually they just had to read up on spell theories.

Professor Mutton however taught the fourth through seventh years the majority of the time and more than on one occasion Harry caught Frank groaning about the work load the professor assigned. Some of the other teachers however refused to have a second person teaching their students so they usually just had an assistant to help grade homework or to help with lagging students.

McGonagall was one of the teachers who insisted on teaching all of her own classes, but her assistant was a young blond haired woman named Lisa Turner. Harry could see why many of the older boys found her attractive, but her annoying habit of chewing on her bottom lip drove him up the wall, he wasn't sure why but it_ was_ aggravating. Her ability to drive McGonagall mad with just a few words however gave her some value in Harry's eyes. Besides Turner, he had yet to meet any of the other teachers' assistances owing to the fact that they usually helped only during the older years.

It wasn't long before Harry fell into a comfortable routine at Hogwarts, he could even say that he was happy within his new house. His roommates had become tentative friends, or as Regulus referred to them in private 'political allies'. Yaxley in particular Harry enjoyed for his interesting comments and sharp tongue. Every day he'd get up eat breakfast with Regulus and Abigail, say hello to a few people, ignore some people, and then head off to classes. After classes were finished for the day he'd meet the marauders out by the lake and fool around for a bit before returning to the castle for supper. Then he and Regulus would head to the library to finish their homework, on occasion with Remus or Lily. The youngest Black had instantly taken a liking to the two third years.

He still couldn't stand Peter. In all honesty the boy wasn't as bad as he figured he would have been. True he was clingy and he practically worshiped the ground Sirius and James walked on, but he had not changed into the rat Harry knew in the future. Perhaps you could say that the boy was still innocent or Pettigrew simply felt protected at Hogwarts, but whatever it was Harry could not totally hate the boy. Dislike him enough to think about injuring him…yes, but actually killing him…no. Afternoons with the Marauders were both enjoyable and torturous. Each day tested his restrain, but luckily for the small mousey boy Harry was making extreme strides in keeping his brutal thoughts in check.

The Sirius and James might have thought his behavior towards the fourth Marauder a tad bit odd but they never questioned him about it, and as for Peter the boy seemed to like Harry perfectly well. The fact that those three hadn't questioned his behavior drew him into a sense of comfort that was broken when Remus cornered him in the library one afternoon.

&Flashback&

"Harry you seem a bit jumpy around Peter. Did you happen to have a run in with him or something?"

Harry paused as he reached for a book on the shelf and turned to the werewolf.

"No…why do you ask?"

Remus' eyes narrowed significantly in disbelief, "Don't lie to me Harry, I can tell that you have something against Peter. I'm just curious as to what."

Green eyes narrowed in frustration, "Do I have to have a reason to dislike a person? Haven't you ever simply just disliked someone simply because they rubbed you the wrong way?"

"Peter rubs you the wrong way?" eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Yes. I can't put my finger on it, but all my instincts are screaming for me to not trust him. He hasn't done anything for me to be wary of him…yet, but my instincts have saved my skin more than a few times."

Remus looked slightly uncomfortable, "Peter is decent, a bit on the shy side, but I've known him for two years now and he is practically a brother to me. Just…" he paused and stared directly into Harry's eyes, "don't judge him too harshly until you give him a chance to show his worth."

Harry quickly looked away not being able to stand the look in Remus' eyes. Remus in the future had practically been his surrogate father after Sirius died, and having his eyes bore into him with that pleading look tore him to his soul.

"I can't promise anything Remus, but I'll try to give Peter a chance."

The slightly tired face brightened and gave a wide smile.

&END&

Since that day he had made an immense effort to get to know the nervous boy, and he came to find something important. _He did not like Peter Pettigrew at all. _ Even without his prejudice from the future Pettigrew still grated on his nerves; Harry wouldn't trust him as far as he could physically throw the rat. He was relieved to find that Regulus shared his view on Pettigrew, actually most of the third year Slytherins and some of the Ravenclaws absolutely despised him. If it wasn't for the fact that he hung around the Marauders he would be pushed around savagely not with out mirth of course. There was more than a few times that Harry caught Snape glaring at the Marauders, and Peter in particular. What Pettigrew could have done was beyond him…he hadn't really shown any value when it came to magic or wits, but Peter did like to sit around and mock the Marauders' victims.

Shockingly Snape had even said a civil word, actually two words to Harry after the third week of school. Ok, maybe 'excuse me' isn't impressive, but coming from Snape it was simply amazing. Actually Harry hadn't caught the pallid boy glaring at him in about a week's time also, something which was beginning to make him uncomfortable.

Harry walked into the library and made his way over to the table where they usually sat. With a frown he took a seat and started to unpack his books while looking around. Regulus had decided to stay in the common room and play gob stones with the Lestrange brothers so Harry had headed to the library alone. He had expected to find Lily and Remus already there, but they were nowhere in sight.

Sighing he pulled out his transfiguration essay and began to finish up the small amount he had left.

"Hello Harry."

The green eyed boy looked up quickly and pasted a pleasant smile on his face.

"Hey Lily! Where's Remus?"

The red head frowned suddenly in a bit of worry before speaking, "hospital wing, something about a stomach virus. I just took him his homework."

Harry nodded his acceptance before turning back to his essay in apparent concentration.

"You know…if it wasn't for the fact that you look so much like Potter I would think that you were Remus' cousin instead."

Grinning he gave her a cheeky wink and then ran his hand through his hair in a very familiar way.

Lily gave a slight laugh rolling her eyes, "Never mind."

"What about you Lily, do you have any cousins?"

Harry leaned forward in interest and stared at the girl.

In a very swift and matter-of-fact voice she answered the proposed question.

"No, my mother was an only child and my father's siblings died before they had children. I think my father has some distant cousins, but I am not so sure about my mother."

"That's interesting. What's your mother's maiden name?"

"Shostak." Lily pushed her red locks behind her ears before slowly twirling her pointer finger through its mass clearly thinking.

She gave a small smile before looking at the younger boy.

"What about you Harry? What are your parents like?"

Harry gave a small smile, "I really don't know…from what I've heard however they must have been simply amazing. Supposedly I look like my dad and received my quidditch skills from him also. My mum however was absolutely beautiful…I've always been told that I am more like them than I'll ever know."

At his wistful voice Lily gave a small frown.

"You've been told? Oh." She quickly diverted her gaze back to her homework.

"Yes, they died before I ever knew them."

"I…I'm sorry to hear that." Lily finally stuttered out, paling slightly.

"It's fine. While I can never replace the real thing, my family has been good to me."

"The Potters?"

"Yeah. Mary and Harold are great! They're a really nice couple. Getting to know them and James this summer was great. I don't have any siblings of my own, so meeting James was odd, but nice. I quite like the idea of having an older brother. Do you have any siblings?" Harry said sincerely looking over at Lily in curiosity. While he knew that Lily did have, well Petunia, he was curious about how she felt about her.

Lily sat up straighter and her lips tightened in a remarkable impression of McGonagall.

"One. Petunia is older." She said stiffly turning away slightly.

Harry gave a small smile while raising his eyebrows, "Ah."

Lily looked at him in return, "Ah?"

"You two don't get along?"

Instantly she stopped fiddling with her hair and cupped her chin in thought, "Not particularly."

Harry wrote a few more lines on his essay before asking, "Is she a muggle?"

Guarded green eyes turned to regard him uneasily.

"Yes she is," she paused for a moment, "why?"

"Idle curiosity," he said smoothly before looking up, "She must be jealous of you."

Lily looked at the boy sharply in surprise, "What?"

"She. Is. Jealous." He said slowed and clearly as if he was speaking to a person hard of hearing.

"I heard you!" she said in annoyance, "But why would you say that?"

"Obvious isn't it? The only people here who don't like you are the bigoted blood purists, and some jealous Ravenclaws. Obviously she has the same blood as you, so therefore she must be jealous of you."

"That's very odd reasoning you have there Harry, besides why would anyone be jealous of me?" Lily asked with a bit of a blush.

Harry pushed his essay away and leaned back in his chair to stare at the young teenager.

"Well besides the obvious…I've heard that you are the most brilliant witch of your generation. Something of a charms genius from what I've heard, or was Flitwick having delusions?"

The girl's blush immediately deepened and she became absorbed in her book, occasionally shooting Harry glances.

"Yes…well Petunia," She began quietly but was cut off by a cheerful shout.

"Harry there you are! Oh, hello Lily!" Abigail happily took a seat next to the young Slytherin ignoring the fact that he had a slight scowl plastered to his face.

"Where's Regulus?" Abigail asked looking around the library. Harry with a vague curiosity wondered if she was about to check under the table when Lily spoke again, "Hello Abigail, how are you?"

"Very fine thanks and you?" The Hufflepuff asked still looking around.

The red head looked back to her homework before answering, "Excellent."

"Well where is he?"

Harry gave a mental sigh before turning to the brown haired girl, "He's playing a game in the common room."

Two honey brown eyes immediately narrowed in on his face, "Why didn't you join him?"

He gave a swift smile before answering, "The Lestrange brothers."

"I take it you aren't fond of them then." Lily stated in a neutral voice.

"Something like that."

Luckily neither girl noticed that his smile had turned a bit vicious.

Abigail looked curious, "Why don't you associate with them?"

Harry shrugged and picked up his quill twirling it between his fingers, "Slytherin politics. First off I do _not_ like either of them, and fortunately we're not closely related. Therefore I have no need to socialize with them, well unless I wanted them as allies, which I _definitely _don't."

The brown haired girl jumped as if something had finally occurred to her, "That reminds me…about socializing. Why is it that I've only seen Regulus and you actually talking to members of the other houses?"

"Now that's not true…we socialize with the Ravenclaws all the time!" Harry said with some amusement which was quickly squashed when he realized he had actually referred to himself as a Slytherin.

"Besides the Ravenclaws then!"

"Most Slytherins are highly discouraged from socializing with Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs. As to me…I really don't care what they think."

"And they leave you alone?" Abigail asked amazed.

Harry gave her a bemused smile, "Oddly enough they have…actually that's something that puzzles me. I am a Potter, which means I am automatically hated, but they have yet to do anything to me."

Lily looked slightly worried at his statement, "Why would they hate a Potter?"

Abigail looked uncertain as well.

"Pureblood politics and family feuds, naturally."

"Feuds?! Honestly the wizarding world is so old fashioned!" Lily said with a huff which caused him to grin widely in amusement.

"I agree. I had a very good friend who used to say the same thing."

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Sorry for the long wait and all but school has been absolutely hectic! This may be my last update until mid-January at the earliest simply because I have so much due when I return to school. My IMs still aren't working so if you need to leave me a message you can do so by messaging me from my yahoo group. Other than that…HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!


	14. Death in Kent

He was late! Regulus forgot to wake him for the feast and now he was going to be late, and after James told him to make sure he was there. Harry took a secret passage and continued to sprint to the Great Hall cursing under his breath. His first real entertainment since he came here and he was about to miss it!

Five minutes later he halted outside of the double doors, straightened his robes and calmly strolled in. A dark brown haired brown eyed first year waved him over. Harry sedately walked over to the Slytherin table, relieved that the feast had yet to begin and took the seat between the brown haired Slytherin and Regulus.

"Late are we Potter?" Phineas Arcturus Yaxley said innocently raising a well manicured eyebrow.

"Of course not Yaxley. In case you haven't noticed the feast has yet to begin. Perhaps I should transfigure you into a watch so that you can tell time?" Harry shot back good naturedly.

Regulus smiled in amusement but when his dark haired friend turned to him his smile faltered somewhat at the annoyed glare.

"And talking about time…next time I'll transfigure you into an alarm clock so you'll wake me on time."

Two blue eyes widened in surprise and confusion, "What is that suppose to…oh!"

Harry would have continued to torment his friend if Dumbledore hadn't risen to his feet to give his annual Halloween speech.

"Welcome all to another fine Halloween. I hope you will enjoy this scrumptious feast before us, so with out further wait…tuck in!"

Large orange Jack O' Lanterns floated in the air above the tables with spider webs clinging in between, with large lifelike spiders scurrying about. Fake sugar rats ran across the table, every so often leaving behind green candy sprinkles, and muggle style ghosts flew about over their heads moaning.

Harry gave a slight smile as he imagined what expression Ron would make at the spiders. His heart clenched as he thought about his best friend and his eyes wandered over to where the Marauders sat laughing. James and Sirius were gesturing excitedly while Remus looked on in amusement and Peter laughed happily at his friend's antics.

For a moment he could imagine Hermione and Ron in Sirius' and Remus' places causing him to smile sadly. Ron would be joking with him and Hermione looking on while trying to maintain her disapproving air. He missed them more than anyone else, they were like three parts to a single soul and now that they weren't here he felt despairingly empty. They had been together for so long that it now was awkward not hearing their voices every day, Ron talking about the Cannon's chances this season or Hermione rattling on about Hogwarts A History. Life just felt so wrong…so empty without them.

"Harry? Are you going to sit there and glare at the Gryffindors or are you going to eat?" Yaxley asked curiously.

"I wasn't glaring Arct, merely observing, and yes I am going to eat…eventually."

Harry began to load his plate as he heard an annoyed groan.

"Potter how many times do I have to tell you? My name is Phineas or Arcturus not Arct and definitely not Archie!"

Regulus let out a snort of laughter which earned him a reprimanding glare from the brown haired boy.

Yaxley curled his lip back from his teeth in a snarl, "Shut it Reggie."

Regulus quickly stopped laughing and mock glared back

"Ok children, keep that up and I'll be forced to label you both Hufflepuffs."

"Harry!" Both boys glared in unison causing the aforementioned boy smile back cheekily.

"One of these days Potter…"

"Yes I know you are going to catch me in a dark passageway all along."

Arct's lip twitched slightly, "You don't think I am serious?"

Regulus shrugged slightly and turned away to talk to a second year girl next to him who had been trying to gain his attention for the past five minutes.

"Oh I believe that if you caught an enemy in an empty corridor you'd have a go." Harry's eyes shifted slightly towards the older Lestrange brother who sat with Snape.

Arct's eyes widened in slight surprise and got a steely gleam in them, "Very good Potter, very good indeed. I've noticed much the same from you."

Harry nodded slightly back before looking down at his plate. The green sprinkles were lying across the white plate, and with a slightly annoyed move he turned his plate over to rid it of the candy before quickly loading his plate with some food. When he looked up again he noticed Snape and Lestrange watching him closely. Harry gave a slight glare and turned back to his plate to begin eating.

"You know Potter," Yaxley said while glaring over at the two third years, "by the time we are fifth years we should know some excellent curses and I am sure we could handle our own in a dark passageway."

Harry gave a soft bark of laughter his eyes dancing at his friend's suggestion.

"That we will my dear Archie."

"Well my _dear_ Potter right now I am more inclined to use my fist." Arcturus replied with a glare.

Harry shrugged in a laid back manner and brought his goblet to his mouth.

The dinner passed rather pleasantly and Regulus soon introduced Harry and Arcturus to the brown haired second year girl that he was talking to. Elanor Brulstrode was nothing like her future niece who reminded Harry strongly of Aunt Marge's dog ripper. This girl overall had a very pretty face, wavy brown hair, blue eyes and a slightly mysterious smile. He would even go as far as to call her beautiful if it wasn't for the fact that she was related to Millicent.

Harry alternated between talking and picking around the green sprinkles that mysteriously found their way onto his plate, much to his disgust. His friend's didn't seem to hold any qualms eating the sprinkles from the candy rats; apparently these rats were a favorite at parties.

Elanor and her friend Verena talked nearly nonstop with the three first years, occasionally Verena would shoot an older boy named Zacharias mooning looks much to her friend's annoyance, but Harry enjoyed the conversation immensely.

A few times during the supper Harry glanced over to the Gryffindor table, waiting for the Marauders to pull their prank, whatever it was supposed to be. James and Sirius refused to tell him anything, other than that they would indeed be pulling a prank at the feast. Harry had almost giving up hope that anything would happen when a loud outraged yell came from his right. He quickly turned and his mouth dropped open in surprise as he noticed the large amount of hair now clinging to Verena's face.

"What…wha…who?" The second year stuttered out in terror.

Elanor was about to answer when a choking sound drew their attention down the table.

Right and left other Slytherins were growing facial hair that would rival Dumbledore's own. Total silence descended upon the Great Hall until finally after a burst of laughter from the Hufflepuff table, the rest of the students dissolved into merriment. Harry looked around the table and noticed that only he and a few other students lacked the beards making him join in the laughter at the look on Regulus' and Arct's face. He glanced over at the Marauders and only laughed harder as he saw McGonagall berating them loudly while they proclaimed their innocence. James caught his eye and gave a sly wink before wiping his face clean.

Harry shook his head in amusement and then turned back to his friends who were glaring at him.

"What?"

"Potter where is your beard?" Arct asked arms crossed in front of his chest.

Harry shrugged perfectly innocently, "I'm not the only one without a beard you know."

"It was Sirius and his friends I am sure of it!" Regulus glared over at his brother, "They must have put something in our food."

Elanor glared at both and Harry and Regulus, "Your relatives are total prats!"

Both boys shrugged.

Verena looked as if she was on the verge of tears and her face was bright red from embarrassment, "How do I get this disgusting hair off of my face?"

"A counter curse." Regulus offered.

"Which one?" Yaxley asked curiously causing the black haired boy to shrug.

"Personally I think that we should just wait until the teachers figure it out." Harry said before taking a sip of his juice.

"Of course you'd wait, seeing as you don't have a beard." Verena pouted.

"Verena how many counter curses do you know for pranks that make you grow a beard?" Harry asked in amusement.

She blushed even darker, "Well none I guess."

The green eyed boy toasted her, "Exactly, and we don't know what will happen if we use the wrong counter curse."

The two second years looked confused and Elanor opened her mouth to say something when a loud bang caused them all to look to the right.

Snape sat coughing as a smoke cloud surrounded him. After the smoke cleared the Great Hall burst into a new round of laughter as Snape's beard was now twice as long and silver.

"Well I guess that answers what will happen with the wrong counter curse." Arct said dryly.

Eventually with the help of Dumbledore the teachers figured out the correct counter curse and after they dismissed the other houses, the staff went around ridding the Slytherins of their beards. Since Harry didn't need to wait in line to get de-bearded he walked out of the Great Hall and into the nearest boy's bathroom.

After relieving himself he went to the sinks and began to wash his hands.

The door quietly opened behind him allowing a few boys entrance and they walk into the room.

Harry turned to dry his hands but instead of the towels he expected, a wand was pointed in his face.

"_Potter_!" a voice snarled in hatred, "thought that you'd get away with it didn't you?"

Harry stared coolly back at the older boys.

"Snape, what are you on about?

A pink tinge was coloring the pallid boy's cheek in his anger, "Don't play innocent with me Potter! We know that you helped your idiot cousin and his little moronic friends."

Lestrange who was standing behind his smaller year mate smiled nastily at the first year.

"Yes Potter, you won't escape this time. No one here to save you."

Harry raised his eye brows in confusion. What did he mean this time? Who had 'saved' him from being attacked before?

He snorted at the older boy, "Lestrange I wouldn't count on it. Snape easily has twice the brain capacity as you do." he smiled slightly before looking at Snape, "Which isn't saying much, seeing as an ant surpasses him."

Both Lestrange and Snape looked furious and the bigger boy pulled back his wand to curse the first year. Harry grabbed Snape's wand, which was still pointing in his face, and kicked the boy in the knee. He smiled slightly as he heard a cry of pain and a thud, but he didn't stand still long enough to see the boy on the ground. Harry quickly dove behind a sink, a blue colored curse passing over his head. Crawling on his belly he looked around the sink, a vicious smile on his lips as he saw the two older boys. Slowly Snape pulled himself to his feet, avoiding his left knee a grimace on his face.

"Come on out you coward!" Lestrange hissed.

Harry dropped Snape's wand and slowly held out his hand and whispered a water spell at the two Slytherins. Immediately he was rewarded with hisses of outrage as the two boys were drenched and puddles formed around their feet.

"Potter!" Snape yelled and continued cursing under his breath.

Still smiling Harry sent a freezing charm at them and right out laughed as the water quickly turned to ice, trapping the boys' feet.

"Send a melting charm at your feet." Severus whispered, shaking slightly, his hair full of icicles which hung around his pale face.

"Now now boys, I must be going and I hope that we won't have to repeat this." Harry said in a patronizing voice as he stood up and moved out in the opening.

As he was finishing his sentence the much larger boy shot a very nasty hex at him which he easily side stepped.

"Honestly, I guess you haven't learnt your lesson yet." He said with a raised eye brow before sidestepping another hex.

With a sigh he sent a low level electricity curse at the boys and smiled slightly when both yelled and slumped into unconsciousness.

He didn't like hurting two third years at all, but as Slytherins the only thing they respected was power; and it is better for him to beat them here in private than out in front of the school. After this little experience they would not be as keen to attempt to attack him again.

Harry lowered his hand and turned to leave when he two ice cold eyes caught his gaze.

"Return to the common room Mr. Potter, I'll deal with these two."

The seventh year's voice was as cold as his eyes and as the young man took in the two third years anger filled his eyes.

Harry gave a slight nod of acknowledgement before he calmly strolled out of the bathroom and made his way to the common room.

Once the first year was out of the bathroom Lucius locked the door and turned back to the third years his gaze as icy as ever. Slowly he enervated each boy and waited until they were lucid enough to understand what he was saying before he spoke.

"Snape, Lestrange…I thought I told you to leave the Potter boy alone, as he is under my protection."

Neither boy spoke; both stared at the seventh year.

"Answer me," the blond hissed, "did I or did I not tell you to leave the boy alone?"

"Yes." The brown haired boy sneered, his eyes flashing.

Malfoy sent a mild pain curse at the impertinent boy and smiled slightly at his yell of pain.

Once the curse was lifted Lucius sneered back, "Watch your cheek. That is only a little taste of pain; notice I am only mildly displeased. Lestrange I would suggest that you follow my orders in the future unless you would like a taste of when I am very displeased."

His cold eyes swiveled to Snape, "Ah and the half-blood," his voice simmered, "Your mudblood roots are showing dear little Prince, I would suggest that you do not cross me. I would be more than happy to purge the blood pool of your filth."

Snape turned slightly pink but he kept his breathing in check.

"Now get back to the common room and if I even see you glance at Potter you will feel my wrath!"

Lucius unlocked the door and motioned the two through.

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Harry made his way back to the common room thinking the whole way over Lestrange's words, "No one is here to protect you." Did he mean Malfoy? Why Malfoy tell the other Slytherins to leave him alone? Most Slytherins never did things out the goodness of their hearts; they always had an outside motive. So what did the seventh year want?

He frowned in contemplation as he walked into the common room or the den as he called it, and made his way upstairs to where he knew Regulus and Arct would be waiting for him.

Sure enough as soon as he pushed the door open Regulus was by his side asking what took him so long to get back to the room.

"Nothing Regulus, I just took a detour." Harry said looking around to note who was in the dorm room.

When he saw that it was only Arct and Regulus he motioned them over towards a corner and quietly told them what had happened. When he was finished Arcturus was looking at him oddly, "Harry you mean to tell me you didn't know that Malfoy had ordered us to let you be?"

"He did what?"

Regulus looked just as confused as Harry did.

"On the second morning of school Malfoy told me, Rebastion, and Charlus to not 'bother' you on his orders. I figured that he would tell Regulus the same, but I know for a fact that he told the rest of the house."

Both Regulus and Harry looked at one another, "Did he say why?"

"No, just that we would regret it if we didn't. You know how every one scurries around here under Malfoy's orders."

Harry nodded thoughtfully and rubbed his chin.

"I wonder what he wants?" Regulus whispered.

"Well he is engaged to your cousin Black, why don't you simply go ask her?" Arct muttered rolling his eyes.

"That could work." Harry said with a frown.

"Yes or it could not," Regulus said with a yawn, "Look guys, I think we should talk about it in the morning once we are all rested."

Harry and Arcturus nodded in agreement before walking over to their own beds.

He pulled his drapes closed and put up a silencing charm around his bed to drown out his noisy room mates. Lost in his thoughts he finally drifted off to sleep a little after one and was immediately sucked into his dream.

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The fire was the first thing he noticed as he was staring deeply into it's' depth. He looked down at his long pale fingers as they tapped the arm chair of his red velvet padded chair. A vicious smirk played across his lips as he brought a wine glass to his lips.

"My Lord." A voice said from behind and he needn't look to know that the man would be kneeling.

"Rise and report."

He heard a soft movement of robes as he returned to staring into the flames.

"My Lord the plans you requested have been finished. Our people have finished making the Portkeys to Kent and they can transport five people per key."

"Tell them that I expect no survivors, and that's including women and children." Harry hissed out.

"Yes my Lord. Do you want them to wait on your command?"

Harry briefly closed his eyes in annoyance. If he wasn't in such a good mood he would have already cursed this idiot multiple times.

"They are to leave at four, make sure they are prompt or it will be on your head."

"Of course my Lord."

"Leave." Harry hissed out still staring at the fire.

His followers would make a point of the small population of wizards in Kent. None would be left alive and the Wizarding world would have no other option than to take him seriously. Soon they would all learn what it is to fear, they would learn to fear him. They would learn to fear his name, even to speak his name!

Slowly he let out a laugh that grew until if would freeze most people's insides at the coldness it contained.

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Harry jerked awake with a slight gasp and quickly sat up.

Riddle was planning an attack! He silently cast a tempus charm and found that it was 3:30 AM, only thirty minutes until they port keyed to Kent.

Quietly as to not wake his room mates Harry grabbed a piece of parchment and cast a spell on the paper to change his hand writing before he quickly wrote,

"Dumbledore,

Voldemort is planning an attack on Kent in the magical section. His followers will be port keying in at four AM. Send help or it will be a massacre."

Harry tapped the paper with his wand and it instantly folded itself into an air plane and with another tap it flew out the window.

With a sigh he went back to his bed, he could only pray that Dumbledore would get there in time. As he tried to drift off to sleep red eyes swam in his mind and that cold laugh haunted his thoughts.

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Yay an update! Enjoy all!

-Andrea


	15. Unknown Informant

Albus was having a very pleasant dream when a loud squawk roused him from his slumber. His eyes opened to dim light as the fire in the fireplace was little more than embers. The old wizard sat up in his bed and looked over to his familiar who was chirping urgently and flapping his wings.

"Fawkes?"

The phoenix flew over the door and began to claw at the handle, a clear indication that the headmaster should follow.

Dumbledore quickly pushed back his covers, went over to the door and pulled it open only to be attacked by a flying note.

Deftly he snatched the paper out of the air and went to stand in front of the fireplace to read the letter. His eyes widened at the content and he quickly looked at the clock.

Three thirty-six! Studying the letter closely he could not discern who's writing it was, the formed letters were too perfect to be penned by hand, increasing the likelihood that the person had used a spell to alter their writing. The flying note was most notably used at the Ministry for note delivery within the building. It was illogical to let a paper note fly across country so therefore whoever sent this note was within Hogwarts' walls.

Dumbledore frowned while he fingered the note's edge.

With a start he jumped slightly and ran over to his bedside and grabbed his phoenix pendent and tapped it with his wand, calling an emergency order meeting. With a wave of his wand his sleeping gown was replaced with a dark robe and his dueling shoes.

Note still clenched in hand he strolled out of his bedchambers and into his adjoining office, lights jumped up from the candles' wicks, lighting the room quite adequately. He placed the note on his desk and slowly began to pace back and forth, hands clenched behind his back and head down in thought as he waited for the order.

Whoever had sent the letter, if what they said was true, then they were a death eater or they were in contact with death eaters. Albus shuddered to even consider that one of his students were in league with Tom as terrible as that thought was, but he was not a fool and knew that more than child had slipped to the dark lord's side.

However, if the person was a death eater why would they send warning of an attack? Although since the attack was taking place during school and students would not be participating why would the young death eater know? Tom was usually tight lipped about his attack plans, sharing details only to his inner circle until the last minute. The likelihood of a student finding out from Tom about the attack was slim to none.

So that left someone, most likely an inner circle member, slipping a student information to pass along, but then again why would a death eater do that? Surely they knew that Tom would eventually find out and kill them. The student's unusual way of delivering the message indicated that they could possibly have ties to the ministry, perhaps a parent or sibling?

Albus' ponderings were cut off as a green fire sprang up in his fireplace and a man stepped out. Albus nodded to the man and continued his pacing, occasionally throwing a glance over at the letter. Over the next five minutes the room filled with order members, their movements were a bit sluggish but their eyes were alert and worried. Dumbledore glanced at the clock and bit his lip in worry, three fifty.

Clearing his throat Albus took a step forward and looked around the gathered group. Silence immediately fell and the members stared back at their leader.

"I have just received information that a death eater attack will occur in magical Kent at four, so we must be brief here."

At the soft words gasps rang out and the group noticeably straightened, gripping their wands tightly.

Magical Kent was roughly the size of Hogsmeade, and although it was called the magic section about half the inhabitants were muggles. His eyes scanned the group of thirty, mentally breaking them up into five groups.

"Harold, Alastor, Minerva, Pierre, break everyone up into five groups." The four men moved to do so while Albus continued, "Harold led your group and head to North Elington Street, Alastor take the tavern, Jason and Pierre head to the south end, my group will be heading for the shopping district."

He looked back at the clock, six minutes and counting. "I am not certain where they will turn up, so be on your guard. When you catch sight of them send up the signal."

Moody nodded his head before grunting, "Numbers?"

Albus gazed over the gathered members, his eyes sharp and alert, "Unknown. Our informant did not mention numbers."

When none present made to talk he continued, "We must go."

He temporarily lowered the anti-apparition fields around Hogwarts so that the Order could apporiate out. When the final person was gone he quickly raised them again and held out his arm for Fawkes. As the phoenix flamed the headmaster away the man did not notice the letter on his desk crumble away into dust.

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At six-thirty Harry suddenly awoke, pain bursting through his head. Silently he bit his lip and held his head until the pain subsided somewhat. Voldemort was extremely angry about something, but why Harry was not sure, hopefully his attack was foiled.

Head still throbbing he dragged out of bed and made his way to the bathroom for his morning shower. He tiredly leaned his head on the tiled wall and as the hot water coursed down his neck and back he stared at the wall. The two dull eyes continued to stare as he pondered how the attack went and if anyone had died. He stayed that way until the steam had filled the air and his fingers and toes began to wrinkle.

As he walked back into the dorm room the other boys were just making their way out of their beds. Rebastan glanced up as Harry walked by and stared for slightly longer than what was polite. Lestrange nervously jerked his bed curtains shut causing Harry to roll his eyes and continuing on his way.

Regulus was digging through his wardrobe for clothing, occasionally throwing a sock over his shoulder and muttering to himself while Arct sat leaned up against his bedpost. The brown haired boy's head was lolled forward, eyes closed, and soft snores came from his direction. Harry smiled slightly as he realized that the boy was asleep which turned into a smirk as he turned and saw Moon taking off his socks and rolling them together. The blond boy took aim and threw the dirty socks across the room, smacking Arct in the middle of his face. Yaxley jerked awake, surprise evident on his face as he looked around, but his surprise soon turned to annoyance as he glared sleepily at his chuckling roommates.

The other boys finally made their way into the bathroom to prepare for the morning, allowing Harry to finish getting ready. Slowly he dressed, fingers fumbling tiredly with the buttons as he glanced through his trunk, looking for a few potions. After finally tying his tie, he pulled out a Pepper Up potion and a Headache Relief draught the proceeded to down one after the other. With a sigh he closed his eyes and smiled slightly as energy flooded his veins.

Feeling much more chipper Harry tossed the empty vials back into his trunk before pulling out a mirror and began studying his appearance. His cheeks were rosy from the potion, his seemingly untamable raven hair stuck out at all angles giving him the appearance of a half-savage, and dark circles still marred beneath his eyes.

Amused, he pulled out the mouse Mary bought him and liberally rubbed it on his hair before pulling his comb through it. After a few minutes of persistent combing the wild locks finally laid straight across his head, he pushed his bangs to one side, coving up his scars which was his usual practice. Truth be told, with his hair under control he looked a great deal less like his father since his features from his mother stood out more.

As he finished up Regulus walked out of the bathroom and collapsed on his bed with a groan.

"Do we have to go to class today?"

"Yes, we have a test in Defense today. Now get up." Arct said crossly as he walked past their beds and to his own.

Yxley's comment produced another groan from the boy.

"Regulus, _get up._ It's nearly eight and I am starving." Harry said, grabbing his bag making sure that he had all of his materials before slinging it over a shoulder.

"Since when are you hungry?" The boy moaned.

"Since when are you not?" Arct demanded, "Stop grumbling and get up. In case you forgot we were suppose to talk about something this morning."

The black haired boy rolled off the bed and slowly pulled his shoes on, muttering under his breath.

Finally at eight fifteen the three boys hurried into the Great Hall and took a seat near the end of the table. Harry glanced up at the head table and noticed Dumbledore deep in thought. He quickly looked away, incase anyone noticed his gaze.

"What's this?" Arct said while unfolding his newspaper.

The Dark Mark shone eerily on the front with a bold headline proclaiming, "Death Eaters Attack Kent!"

Arct laid the paper flat on the table where all three of the boys could see it, an action that was happening all across the Great Hall. Harry's reflief grew as he read further into the article but the last sentence made his stomach clench in anger. 'Luckily no significant losses were noted, although two muggles died in the fight.'

"I wonder who the group was that foiled the attack?" Arct asked, sitting back and filling his plate. Harry looked at the food distastefully.

"The Order."

Harry and Arct looked up sharply at Regulus.

"Who?"

"The Order. Don't tell me you haven't heard of them, even if they are just a rumored group. Supposedly they are a resistant group that fights against the Dark Lord."

"Well I've never heard of them before and I am usually pretty well informed." Arct said curiously.

Regulus simply shrugged and went back to his food.

"I thought you were starving?"

Harry pushed the food around on his plate a bit, "Lost my appetite."

Regulus glanced up as Harry pulled out his letter and added a few more paragraphs before grabbing his backpack and standing.

"Harry where are you going? Arct asked through his toast.

"Mailing a letter."

The boy swallowed his mouthful before continuing, "Wait for one of us, or did you forget about last night?"

Regulus pushed his plate away and stood.

"Sit down and eat. I'll be fine. Besides, Snape and Lestrange are still licking their wounds."

Neither boy looked very convinced but the black haired Slyterin sat down anyways and only watched as Harry walked out of the Great Hall.

He hadn't walked very far when an arm slung around his shoulders.

Harry gave a pleased smile as a smirking face met his green eyes.

"The Great Hall is the other way." James said with a grin and ruffled the smaller boy's hair, electing an eye roll from Harry.

"Yes, I know. I'm going to the Owlry." When the older boy looked at him curiously Harry continued, "Sending a letter to your parents."

A rumpled letter appeared out of James' pocket, which he aimlessly tired to smooth with a half-hearted jester.

The Slytherin looked at the letter with a raised eyebrow.

"I am guessing that you left your little exploit out?"

"Harry you wound me! Why would you think that _I _had anything to do with that incident last night?" The hand clutching the wrinkled letter came to the boy's heart and eyes closed in mock pain.

Harry snorted in amusement, "First off you assumed that I was speaking about last night, secondly McGonagall seems to agree that you did it, and thirdly…you told me you had something planned."

"I did, didn't I! However, my parents don't know that, now do they?" James waved the parchment as he continued, "My proclamation of innocence."

"Do you send a letter of innocence every time you get detention?" Two brown eyes widened in indignation, "Of course not, only when I receive detention for more than two weeks in a row. Discounting quidditch nights of course."

Harry snorted, "I take it that McGonagall likes quidditch?"

James nodded with a slightly crazed grin.

"So how do you like Slytherin?" He asked looking away and shoving both hands, letter included, into his robes.

"It's okay, partly what I expected, a few surprises."

"Nice and evasive answer." James accused.

Harry glanced at his father and noted the frowned brow. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair in thought causing James to look at him curiously.

"I assume that Gryffindor is very different than Slytherin." Harry said finally, "Slytherin has an hierarchy. Malfoy is the current leader, and what he says is law."

James looked disgusted, "Malfoy is the Prince of Slytherin?"

Harry's lips twitched slightly in amusement as James continued, "Wait until I tell Sirius."

"I may not like Malfoy, but I can't say that he hasn't been of benefit to me."

"What?" James sputtered.

"Apparently Malfoy told the Slytherins to not bother me. I was curious as to why a Death Eater, or a Death Eater to be would order such a thing. Malfoys and Potters, from what I've heard, have never gotten along. So why would he protect me?"

James looked baffled, "Perhaps you should ask dad. He has more experience with the Malfoys and their type."

Harry waved the letter as they climbed the stairs with a smile.

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Albus sighed wearily and pinched the bridge of his nose as he waited on the door to appear.

They had barely gotten to Kent before the Death Eaters had arrived. He had expected perhaps twenty of Voldemort's follower's at the most, so when nearly forty arrived they were all surprised.

The majority had appeared in the south end, the exact opposite of what he had thought. In the past Voldemort had sent his followers to damage areas and to create terror, but from what the few captives the Order had detained the attack was supposed to have been a slaughter. T

he two muggles that were killed were little more than children in Albus' eyes. The two teenagers had been caught as they came out of a convenience store, both were hit with the Killing Curse. The Dark Mark had been their first alert that someone was dead.

The glowing skull had renewed their anger and gave the group one last burst of energy to drive off the Dark Lord's followers. The Order had dispersed after they gave portkeys to the wounded and made sure that the captured Death Eaters were bound.

Albus, as he was about to portkey away, received a letter from the Ministry requesting his presences. With a wave of his wand his soiled robes were replaced with fresh ones. Holding his arm in the air, Fawkes landed on it and the two flamed directly to the lobby at the Ministry.

Albus spent the rest of early morning speaking with Minister Bagnold about the attack. Bagnold knew that Dumbledore ran a secret organization against Voldemort, and for that she was very grateful, but officially the Ministry did not recognize the Order.

Albus arrived back at Hogwarts just in time to take his seat at the Head table. Alastor was supposed to be meeting him after breakfast in his office to discuss some Order business.

Whoever had sent him the warning note he was grateful to, but he still needed to find out who it was. Before Alastor arrived he planned to study the note closely for any clues as to its' sender. Hopefully if the sender was a student they would have left an obvious magical trail, since the majority of the charms used to hide identity and magical signanture was not taught at Hogwarts. And if normal methods failed he could always use some muggle technique.

In the last century muggles had made amazing progress and in some ways passed the wizarding world. If his informant was a pureblood he highly doubted that they would be able to fool muggle methods.

So imagine his surprise when he arrived back in his office only to find a pile of dust where the letter once was. He quickly questioned the portraits only to find that the letter had apparently self-combusted right after he left for Kent.

He sat down behind his desk and pulled the ashes in front of him and studied them intently. He was still testing the ashes when the fire flared green and Mad-Eye stepped out. He leveled a wand at the older man.

"What's Dumbledore's favorite jelly bean?"

Albus leaned back in his chair before answering, "Apple cinnamon. What is Alastor's favorite Kissinger novel?"

Moody's eye rolled in its socket as it surveyed the room.

"I don't like Kissinger. Good to see you alive Albus."

Dumbledore inclined his head slightly, "Lemon drop, Alastor?"

The scared man waved the offer away, limped forward to a comfy looking chair and took a seat.

"Who were the captured Death Eaters?"

Alastor leaned back and pulled out a flask, "Some stupid kids right out of Hogwarts."

Albus sighed and placed his head in his hands.

"Who?"

"Travers and Mulicber."

"Two Ravenclaws." Dumbledore removed his glasses and slowly cleaned the lenses.

Mad-Eye grunted before taking a swig from his flask.

"What information did gather from them?"

A look of annoyance passed over the man's scared features, "Not much, other than what we learned at the scene. They were either told very little, or were able to resist truth serum."

Albus nodded thoughtfully and replaced his glasses, "So no one except the inner circle knew about the attack."

"From what we know."

"Interesting."

"What is it Albus?"

Dumbledore stood from the desk and began to pace slowly back and forth.

"The informant I mentioned earlier…I do not know who they are. Their handwriting was disguised and when I arrived back it had apparently self-combusted. The letter must have had spells on it that I did not notice before we left."

"Spells that you didn't notice?" Both eyes narrowed in on the headmaster, "What's the probability of that?"

Dumbledore shrugged his shoulders slightly.

"Do you know any more about this informant?"

"Nothing that is concrete. However, his letter arrived in a rather unusual way."

Alastor stared at him, re-corking his flask as he did so.

"Well get on with it Albus!" Moody growled when Dumbledore ceased to speak.

Albus smiled apologetically, "Yes, they used the same delivery system as the Ministry."

"So you believe the informant is at Hogwarts and has ties to the Ministry?"

Dumbledore nodded.

"So they are a high ranking Death Eaters' child. One parent, more likely than not, will work at the Ministry, and the child has access to important information, which they are willing to betray."

Moody grunted and leaned back in his chair.

"Well child of a Death Eater means practically every Slytherin."

"This epidemic is not restricted to the Slytherin house alone, as shown by our captives last night,"

Moody nodded in disgust, "Any of your students acting oddly lately?"

With a slow shake of his head, Dumbledore leaned his head back thoughtfully, "Not that I am aware of, at least none of the Heads have brought any student to my attention, yet."

Alastor nodded and pulled out a slightly battered watch from his inner pocket. Looking at the time he left out a dark curse before shoving it back in his folds, "Duty calls. After this little spat is over, I am going into retirement."

Standing he began to walk over to the fireplace, talking as he did so, "Owl me a list of all the Slytherins and suspected members of other houses. I'll look up on their families and see if they have any ties to the ministry and Voldemort."

Albus nodded and held out the floo pot for the scarred man to take a pinch. Moody nodded at the older man before throwing the powered into the fire and stepping in, only to disappear with a swift swish. Once the fire returned to normal Dumbledore turned back around and started to make his way back to his desk, but his attention was diverted when Fawkes let out a loud squawk that sounded very much like a loud laugh. An unusual thought passed his mind and he changed directions and walked over to his familiar.

"You know who sent the letter, don't you my friend?" Dumbledore asked staring at the phoenix intently.

The red bird let out another chuckle before a bright flame engulfed it and he flashed away, leaving a small pile of ash behind.

Albus sighed in annoyance as a loud snicker was heard from the wall.

"Thank you Phineas, that will be enough."

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Um, sorry about the wait...hope you enjoy!


	16. Watchful Eyes

To the readers,

Right…um, sorry about not updating for so long, but I've been rather busy. With my senior year ending and First year of University beginning it seems as if I just can't catch a moment of free time. Add on top of that soccer and work, and life's been down right hectic. However, I've always hated getting into a story that grabbed my interest and then suddenly be left hanging. Therefore, I've decided to drop my other two fics (which are up for adoption) so that with my strained time I may be able to at least continue with this one. I'm sorry for all of my readers who enjoyed one of my other stories better, but truth told this is my favorite work and therefore I'll be more motivated to finish it. I haven't written fiction since my last up-date so this chapter is woefully rusty (and yet to be betaed). Hopefully, you'll hang with me until I'm back in stride. Without further excuses…

**Chapter 16**

**The Triangle of Stares**

It was nearly the end of term and Harry had yet to figure out what Malfoy wanted from him. The head boy had not approached him or even seemed to notice his presence. However, Harry frequently caught the blonde boy staring at him intently when he thought no one else was watching. The first year thought that Malfoy was either studying or watching him, Harry hadn't figured out which one it was yet. But honestly he didn't care, as far as he was concerned any interest the older boy held in him was too much interest.

Harry and his group avoided the head boy as much as possible, and it became increasingly clear with time that Malfoy was following them and attempting to watch Harry's every move. Some people might have said he was being paranoid, but too many attempts had been made on his life for him to assume that people weren't out to get him. Especially Death Eaters who served the Dark Lord. _And_ Lucius was definitely a Death Eater.

Now that Harry knew that the older Slytherins were steering clear of him on Malfoy's orders, he began to notice more and more speculative glances thrown his way. Eyes and whispering followed him whenever he passed a group of Slytherins, but none approached him to figure out why he was in Malfoy's good graces.

Regulus and Arct kept a close eye on Snape and Lestrange, not convinced that they wouldn't try something again. All three boys regarded Lestrange's younger brother with distrust. Though Harry doubted that a first year could seriously endanger him, Arct was certain that the small boy would feed his brother anything damaging about Harry. Both Regulus and Harry agreed and shunned Rabastan more so than ever, going out of their ways to avoid the boy. If Rabastan knew what they were doing he didn't give any indication…he continued to avoid other people and only associate with his brother.

Honestly, Harry feared his roommate much less than his friends did, instead his concern lied elsewhere. Voldemort had been suspiciously quiet in the last month and a half. The newspapers reported little Death Eater activity, and Harry's scar lay dormant, except for a vision the day after the attack.

He had fallen asleep quickly that night, and almost instantly he found himself in a dark unfamiliar room. He sat quietly glaring at the wood table, tracing rune patterns into the surface with his fingers. A voice interrupted his thoughts and his fingers halted in their travel across the smooth surface.

The voice was soft and shook in obvious fear, "My Lord, we can only assume that there is a spy within our midst."

Harry looked up at the unknown man across from him and felt his temper flare.

His lip pulled back as he bared his teeth and his hand moved down to grip his wand tightly, wishing nothing more than to curse the man for the attack's failure. Not only had the group failed to kill any of the wizards, but ten of his followers had either been killed or captured in the botched attempt.

As all of his followers knew…defeat did not come lightly under his command. He considered failure unacceptable. There was going to be hell to pay and as the simpletons hadn't caught any of the Order's members he'd just have to take it out on his men.

He looked over at the shaking man. But of course the idiot was right; a spy would explain why the attack had gone amiss, and why the thrice damned bunch of do-gooders was in Kent.

At the Dark Lord's increasingly dark looks the Death Eater paled and sat up straighter in his chair while he diverted his eyes in fear.

"A spy?" Voldemort hissed out, anger lacing the two words, twisting them horribly. "A spy for Dumbledore!"

Harry had woken quickly afterwards and stood under the shower for an hour to calm his nerves and to think on what he had learned.

After that vision he was surprised when his scar didn't even give the occasional twinge of pain. He could only wonder at what this silence meant.

While he was confident that Riddle did not even remotely connect the failed Kent attack with him, he still worried that in the silence the Dark Lord was planning something major.

Harry had been racking his brain for days on end trying to recall if there had been a major attack any time soon, or perhaps an attack just on an important target? Unfortunately he could not specifically recall any important attack happening until well after the New Years.

He sincerely hoped that the silence simply meant that Riddle was concentrating on finding the suppose spy and not plotting an attack.

Not long after he had sent a letter to Harold, the month previously, he had received a vague reply back containing some pleasantries and little else. His grandfather had seemed rather distracted and worried about something, and when Harry asked James what Harold said about the Malfoy situation, the older boy merely shrugged in confusion and replied that his father hadn't a clue.

James had been watching the head boy so intently, that his squabble with Snape had been currently put on hold. It would seem that Snape had been avoiding the Marauders even more as the two hadn't exchanged any curses since Halloween night.

However, in the previous weeks following the attacks, Harry noticed Dumbledore regarding himself and Malfoy with increasing interest. Albus would stare intently; get a pondering look on his face, almost as if he was debating with himself. Then his face would grow grim, his eyes would harden, and then soften with something akin to hope. Only to be repeated over and over again. Luckily, Malfoy was so intent on watching Harry that he never seemed to notice the Headmaster's interest in him. If he had he would have been much more worried about all of the staring.

As it was, after putting up with a month of Dumbledore's stares, Harry was getting quite fed up. The headmaster obviously knew something, or at least he thought he did.

Silently, Harry groaned to himself as he looked at Dumbledore. That speculative gleam in the headmaster's eyes couldn't be good. Whatever Albus thought he knew was obviously wrong. But then again, he may have some information that would help Harry solve his Malfoy problem.

So here he was on the last day of term standing in front of a very familiar stone gargoyle.

"You know you could just make this easy and move out of my way." Harry stated as he stared at the unmoving statue.

When the statue didn't move, he let out a slight sigh before muttering, "Didn't think so."

With a roll of his eyes he began listing all the magical sweets he knew before reverting to the muggle sweets.

When he was just about to give up the gargoyle jumped aside and Harry could almost believe that it seemed disappointed and highly disgruntled.

"Really?" Harry asked disbelievingly, "Anglo Bubblies?"

With a snort he stepped on the bottom step and rolled his eyes at the password. Secretly he agreed with the gargoyle's disgruntlement at the password. He still remembered when Albus' portrait told him about the reactions he got when he had the password 'Sugar Daddy.' Apparently the old wizard would spend some time thinking up the password, for his own personal amusement, which held a secret meaning for him.

'Sometimes,' Harry thought, 'the headmaster receives too much amusement from his passwords; although fighting during three notable wars did lend credence that Albus' mind had slipped over the years.'

When the steps finally stopped moving, he slowly raised his hand and knocked on the door. Doubt entering his heart as soon as he did so. Dumbledore was already suspicious of him, not him directly, but his origins. Was he doing the right thing?

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A similar set of problems, among many others, currently plagued the headmaster. Tom's silence after the attack was quite unsettling, add onto that the mysterious identity of the unknown informant and he was down right perturbed.

Albus glanced down at the list on his desk. With a frown he continued to stare intently at each name considering each before shaking his head in doubt. Only three of the nearly eighty names were left on the list, and yet he had high doubts about each one.

The names on the slightly crumpled paper had been narrowed by Moody, until there were only ten left. Painstakingly, Dumbledore had observed his students until he had dismissed seven of the ten. Only one of the three now really held his interest.

_Lucius Malfoy-Seventh year, Slytherin, Head boy. _

Every since Harold had informed him of Malfoy's orders Albus had been concentrating his attention on the seventh year. However, he was as unsure of Malfoy's motives as Harold was.

Albus had suspected for years that Malfoy Senior was a Death Eater, and high ranking at that, perhaps even part of the Inner Circle. If Malfoy truly was the secret informant why would he risk his cover by protecting someone who had earned Tom's wrath? Unless, Malfoy was ordered by his father to watch the boy, if that was the case then he wasn't the informant at all. Albus suspected that this was this case, after all why would Riddle spend so much time in the past concentrating on the boy's family only to leave him unwatched here?

A loud knock brought him out of his musing and he quickly covered the list with some letters on his desk.

Dumbledore glanced up at the door before staring intently through it. Surprise shown on his face as he recognized one of the last students he would have suspected standing outside his office.

Quickly wiping the surprise from his face he called out loudly, "Come in Harry."

The door silently opened and the first year Slytherin slipped in through the door and closed it quietly behind him.

Albus gave a small smile and indicated for the boy to sit down.

Once Harry had been seated, Albus continued to stare piercingly over his glasses at the smallest Potter. He only looked away once the boy had lowered his head and a light blush had appeared on the first year's cheeks.

Smiling slightly, Albus picked up a bowl and held it out to the boy, "Lemon drop?"

At the shake of the boy's head, Dumbledore put the bowl back down and leaned back in his chair.

"What can I help you with Harry?" He asked in a deceptively light voice.

Harry looked up and held his chin high, a stubborn glint entering his eyes.

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The small group of first years crowded into the empty compartment, three of the four members grunting in effort as the maneuvered their luggage into the racks above.

"I can't get it!" Abigail grunted as she shoved her trunk, which had fallen off the rack back to the floor. With a frustrated look she heatedly kicked the trunk repeatedly before throwing herself into a seat, a pout quickly forming on her face.

Amusedly, Harry took out his wand and waved it over the trunk before levitating it onto the rack.

Abigail grinned in thanks and looked in glee at the other two Slytherins.

The boys stared at Harry in annoyance.

"You mean to tell me that we could have done that the whole time and avoided all that trouble?" Arct snarked at the smallest boy, gesturing to his own trunk overhead.

Regulus rolled his eyes in exasperation and took a seat next to the window, steadfastly ignoring the whole proceedings; use to his two friends' fighting by now.

"A little manual labor isn't going to kill you." Harry replied with a slight grin, glaring pointedly at Arct's mid-section. He had enjoyed watching the other two boys struggling with their trunks, while he pulled his with relative ease onto the train. A simple feather light charm had taken care of its' weight. Sometimes purebloods could be so stupid.

"Oi, who are you calling fat Potter!"

"Did I say that you were fat?" Harry asked shooting the other boy a grin.

Yaxley glared back, "You implied it!"

"And you assumed I meant you? Touchy, touchy. Maybe your subconscious is telling you something."

Regulus snorted, quickly changing it to a soft cough when Yaxley transferred his glare to him.

"Potter my subconscious is not trying to tell me anything! Besides…at least I'm not an underfed runt."

"Abigail do you hear that?" Regulus asked, looking around the compartment in apparent worry before Harry could respond.

At the girl's inquiring look he continued.

"I could have sworn I heard two Gryffindors whining the world's saddest tune."

As the Hufflepuff started laughing, the train jerked forward, beginning the journey back to London.

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About half-way through the train ride Harry bid his friends goodbye and left the compartment to seek out a few of his other friends, before finding James.

He quickly walked down the aisle glancing through the glass widows.

He was about to look into the next compartment when a door opened ahead of him and a dark head peered out, "Potter, I'd like a word with you."

Harry's hand automatically dropped to his wand as he stared at the older boy.

Snape stared back with slight look of distaste on his face.

"In private."

Harry nodded and slowly walked forward, glancing through the glass as he did so. When he saw it was empty, save Snape, he hesitantly walked in.

"What can I do for you Snape?"

The dark haired boy stared at the first year before shutting the door and looking through the glass while pulling the curtains down. Once that was done he turned back around only to find the first year grasping his wand tightly.

"Honestly Potter, I'm not going to attack you." Severus snarled "I simply would like to keep this between the two of us."

Harry nodded. His eyes boring curiously into the other's.

The third year remained silent, looking as if he was contemplating something, and after several minutes he looked up with a slightly pained expression on his face.

"Sorry for attacking you."

Harry blinked in shock…did Snape _actually_ apologize to him?

"Wha-what?" he stuttered out in amazement.

Snape cringed and then glared in annoyance.

"I said that I am sorry for attacking you."

"Yes, I heard you, but why?" he paused before continuing "Why are you apologizing, and why now?"

The other boy straightened and averted his gaze while his cheeks reddened.

"Well it's been brought to my attention that you really did not help Potter in his idiotic prank, and that you are not the same as Potter."

"Oh." Harry still looked confused at the older boy.

"So…?"

"So what?" he asked perplexed.

With a long suffered sigh Snape glared at the first year, "So…am I forgiven or not?"

"Um, yes?"

"Was that a question?"

Harry started, stilling staring "No. Yes you are forgiven. No hard feelings."

Snape nodded tightly and motioned for the first year to leave.

Harry lost no time in leaving, confusion marking his face as he walked out the door and nearly headlong into Lily.

"Hello Harry!" the red head said cheerfully with a wide smile.

His eyes quickly focused in on her and he muttered a subdued reply.

She looked at him in concern, her smile fading slightly.

"Are you feeling well?"

"Yes, I'm fine." He smiled widely before walking around her "Merry Christmas."

Lily watched the boy walk down the hall with amusement written across her features.

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"Harry, James!"

Harry turned at the voice, glancing through the crowd as they were jostled about by the surrounding crowd. Body pressed closely to him, and excited shouts could be heard throughout the throng.

"Do you see him James?"

James jumped on top of his trunk and looked at the platform, "Not yet. Which way did he yell from?"

"Boys! Over here!"

James and Harry turned towards the voice.

Harry finally caught sight of Harold waving over the heads of the students, smiling widely, and standing in the middle of the platform.

Grabbing James' arm, he pointed before walking towards the platform, dragging his trunk forward as James hopped down and followed.

"Dad!" The third year called out excitedly once they had reached the older man.

Harold smiled widely before pulling his son into a warm hug, laughing slightly before ruffling James' already windswept hair.

"James…Harry," Harold threw his free arm out and pulled Harry to his side as well, "it's great to have you home boys. Mary hasn't been this eager for Christmas since James' first year."

"Where's she at?" James asked not pulling out from under his father's arm.

"She's at home, taking care of some last minute issues." Harold assured his son before glancing over the crowd.

Harry glanced over the crowed as well, looking for possible threats.

Almost as if catching the thought Harold gained a look of unease, "Shall we go then boys?"

At James' eager nod, Harold led the two away from the tracks and to the barrier.

As they were about to walk through Harry glanced back and caught two sets of blue eyes staring at him. Involuntarily he stiffened as he marched into the barrier.

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Enjoy!

-Andrea


	17. Spying Is Not Just For Dumbledore

**17**

**Spying Is Not Just For Dumbledore**

The break was passing peacefully, snow covered the grounds, and decorations littered the manor. Harry felt like was being lulled into a false sense of serenity, and had to remind himself to be careful, and not let his guard down while the Dark Lord was in power. Many times his more impulsive parts wanted to tell Harold and Mary everything, but the thought was squashed back down every time he saw James; James the third year Gryffindor, not the man who died to give Harry life.

The days were spent, playing games, having snow ball fights, going sledding, and evening chess matches by the fire. Harry felt as if he was living the perfect life on the surface, but underneath it all he was struggling with the loneliness.

Often, longing entered his heart with such an ache that he had to shut his eyes to block out the pain. This would be his first Christmas without his three best friends since his second year, and he knew that it would be the first of many. Even if he managed to live through to their births or even to their second and third years at Hogwarts, he wouldn't be able to experience Christmas as he had. He wouldn't open the slightly lumpy package to find a Weasley Jumper with a can of fudge. He wouldn't even get quidditch materials from his best mate.

Out of all of the Potters, Harold seemed to pick up on Harry's slightly melancholy mood the most.

Harold's mood seemed to reflect his own. Outwardly he was lively and cheerful, even joining in a snowball fight with the two boys, yet his eyes displayed another story.

In his eyes, Harry found sadness, compassion, and understanding on those rare moments when he would freeze, thinking about his past friends. The understanding shown affirmed to Harry that this would not be Harold's first Christmas without someone special near and dear to him either.

While Harry regretted not having his friends here he couldn't help but be grateful at the special opportunity that this was. Never in a million years would he have guessed that he would be sitting here, sharing Christmas with his father and grandparents. Even after six months the feeling was still surreal.

He was beyond lucky…many of his past friends would have jumped at this chance, to spend just one more day with those gone. Harry was glad that James remained oblivious to his inner turmoil. The thirteen-year-old seemed so young and carefree…not at all how Harry had been at that age. Yet, Harry intended it to remain that way. James was just a child, and Harry wished for his father to remain that way. Logic, however, told him it just wasn't possible. The Gryffindor would have to grow up; would grow up, get married, start his own family, and perhaps die again in this war.

The Potters had set him up a small vault to use during his school years, with a weekly allowance. Apparently, Cassandra had been left a hefty inheritance, since she had not been proven dead. The vaults would not have been liquidized back into the main Potter's vault until fifty years after the will was read with no one laying claim to the money. Luckily for Harry, this meant that he would always have a good amount of money if he ever ran into trouble. Seeing as the vaults would have eventually belonged to him anyways, he didn't feel guilty for spending the money.

Against his better judgment, he even bought an advance charmed book for Lily along with a Christmas card. While he was certainly friendly with his mother, he wasn't sure it extended to a real friendship yet. Would it be out of place to send her a present? He didn't want to cause an awkward situation after all, and he rather enjoyed the older girl's company.

He had sent his presents a few days earlier with the instructions that they were not to be opened before Christmas morning. He was moderately sure that they would all wait, but knowing Sirius he had probably tried to rip into it right away. Sneakily, Harry had added a Biting Hex that would become active if anyone tired to open it before the designated time. And as James was under the Christmas tree down stairs, Harry had little to worry about it getting opened early.

Speaking of presents, a fair amount of them had accumulated the past few days under the tree as well. He had never had so many presents to his name at one time, and most certainly not at Christmas.

The Christmas tree was a twelve foot beauty. The whole family had spent the first night back decorating it. The last four decorations added were made out of light-weight silver metal.

Mary had handed Harry a small green box, tied with a silver bow. He had opened the box, conspicuously aware of the other Potters watching him.

There, laying on golden tissue paper was an ornament spelling out his name in simple but elegant script.

Smiling slightly, Harry walked up to the tree and placed it beside of James'.

He was touched. In that one moment he felt as if he belonged more than ever, and all doubts and worries about whether he belonged with them vanished. His name hanging next to James' reaffirmed his acceptance into this little family.

So this was where Harry found himself on Christmas morning, lying on his soft bed staring at the ceiling in the predawn hours; thinking about the last meeting with the headmaster. It hadn't gone quiet as planned, but Harry was confident that he would eventually find out what Malfoy was up to.

/Flashback/

Albus leaned back in his chair, "What can I help you with Harry?"

Harry lowered his head and began twiddling with a loose thread on his sleeve. "Well…um, you see sir…I," he broke off and shot the headmaster a searching glance, "I, ah, well I mean…"

When he failed to continue Albus leaned forward in his chair gave the boy a searching look while he lowered his voice slightly, "My boy, you do know that you can come to me about anything, correct?"

The first year nodded, looking a bit unsure.

After a moment Harry's face hardened and he licked his lips in apparent worry. "Sir, there's something I need to discuss with you. Something I'm not sure about, but I need some advice on."

The headmaster nodded encouragingly.

"Sir, I think that someone is watching me…I know that sounds crazy, but I can't help to feel that something bad is going to happen!" Harry's voice rose at the end of the sentenced a bit in fear. "I know who it is, and sir, I think he's a Death Eater."

Albus sat up straighter, "Harry?"

Lowering his voice Harry looked down and seemed to pull in on himself, "_He's_ after me again, I know it. But it's my family that I worry about." Then dropping his voice to a mere whisper he choked out, "I don't care what will happen to me, but what have I dragged James and his parents into? I should never have come to Hogwarts. I should never have told the aurors' my name! I should never have been found!"

The panic and despair Albus heard tugged at his heart, so he quickly went to the boy and kneeled in front of him, raising the boy's chin until they were eye to eye. Whoever the boy may be, or whatever he had experienced, he was still just a child and Albus hated to see any child in pain. Pity coursed through his veins as soon as Harry proclaimed that he should have been without a family.

"Harry, you have not done anything wrong. You are with your family and they are very grateful to have you. I promise you, you are safe here and the Potters will be fine. I will do everything in my power to ensure both."

He continued to hold the boy's gaze until Harry reluctantly nodded, looking back down, but Albus believed he detected a hint of relief before their stare broke. He slowly removed his hand and stood up, but instead of sitting behind his desk he took the chair next to the first year.

"Harry, tell me everything."

And so Harry had. Well not quite, but enough to convince Dumbledore to go digging around for Malfoy's real intentions. Harry wasn't interested in the threat Malfoy posed to him but rather the threat that Voldemort posed to the Potters. The thought that an eighteen-year-old Luicus was dangerous to him was laughable at best. But Voldemort could attack the Potters with no warning, and Harry would be stuck sitting at Hogwarts unable to help.

By the end of the meeting Harry had gleaned little other than the fact the Dumbledore firmly believed that Malfoy was not a present threat, but the headmaster promised to keep a closer eye on the seventh year anyway.

Harry's real goal for the meeting was not to get information from Dumbledore, but to nudge the headmaster into giving information to Harold. Harry was certain that it would be easier to get the desired information from his grandfather than from Albus. He hated to make his grandparents worry, but this way he could either convince Harold to tell him what was going on, or simply plant something to spy on his grandparents. The latter idea did not appeal to him, but it was better than being in the dark and easier than planting something in Dumbledore's office. Besides, if his grandparents did get in any trouble he'd be more likely to get there in time to help.

/END/

Harry was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even hear the door creak open and a graying head peak in. Moonlight streamed on his face, clearly showing his eyes wide opened, if not currently focused.

"Harry. Are you ok?"

The boy jumped slightly, he's eyes quickly focusing on the door.

"Uncle Harold?" Harry asked in confusion "Is something wrong?"

The older man smiled in amusement, "I asked you first."

Harry grinned slightly, "I'm fine. You?"

"Fine."

"You're up early."

"Just going down to breakfast and thought I'd see if you were still asleep." Harold easily lied. He'd actually stopped to watch the boy sleep for awhile, much as he done when James was younger.

"Care for some company?"

Harold nodded and smiled slightly.

"James not up yet?" Harry asked curiously, sure that the marauder would have been up much earlier trying to open his presents.

The older man shook his head, with a grateful look on his face, "Fortunately not. I've yet to have my coffee."

The small boy smiled slightly as he pushed back the covers, threw his legs over the side of the bed, and slipped his feet in his slippers.

Harry waited until they were both sitting at the table, with a mug in front of Harold before initiating any conversation.

"Uncle Harold, there's something I've been wishing to talk to you about." Harry waited until his grandfather nodded before continuing, "the letter I sent you. Why haven't you answered it?"

The older man sighed slightly, "Harry. I do not want you to worry. You are safe in Hogwarts…Dumbledore has seen to that, and you are also safe here. I'm sure that Lucius Malfoy's interest in you is nothing to worry about. He's probably curious since you were sorted in Slytherin."

Harry stared blankly at the man; the voice in which he had delivered reassurance was anything but reassuring.

"And if he's not? What if he's up to something more sinister? Shouldn't I at least know what he is up to so I can be on my guard?"

"Just leave it to the adults. You shouldn't have to worry about your safety; you should be enjoying your time at school. Harry, I know you hate hearing this, but you are just a child." Harold stated in a no nonsense voice.

"But am I really?" Harry muttered with his head hung. "How many adults can claim to have even lived half the life I have? I'm neither naïve nor innocent. I know what people are capable of."

The older man sighed before saying in a sad voice, "Harry…please for me, just leave it alone. I promise you if there is anything I think you need to know I will tell you. Alright?"

Unhappily Harry nodded his head. He hadn't wanted to spy on his grandfather but Harold had left him little choice. Neither Harold nor Albus planned on revealing anything useful.

&

Harry happily opened the presents from his friends. Each one was special to him, but the one that brought the most relief was the small charms book from Lily. Luckily, James was too wrapped up in his present from Peter to take too much notice. Just a few days ago James had expressed his first interest in the red headed third year. However, as soon as he realized what he implied the third year turned a brilliant shade of red and quickly changed the subject much to Harry's amusement. Since then James had been extra careful not to even remotely mention Lily at all, and the last thing Harry wanted to do was make James jealous of his relationship with Lily.

At Harry's present James let out a surprised whoop and exclaimed loudly.

"Merlin! Is this what I think it is?" James continued without waiting for an answer "I can't believe you found it! Sirius is going to be so jealous. We've been looking for these since first year. Do you have the other one?"

Mary looked doubtfully at the small mirror her son was holding, "Do I even want to know what that is?"

James took on an innocent façade, "Why mother, it's just a mirror."

At both of his parents obviously mocking gazes James deflated slightly, "You're not going to take them away are you?"

Harold smiled amused.

"No. But don't mistake us for idiots either." James perked up at this but adopted a sullen face when his father continued, "Now what is it _really_?"

"It's a two-way mirror. The magical version of a walkie-talkie, I suppose." Harry informed them with a slight grin. "And no, James, I do not have the other one. Sirius does. I also sent one to Peter and Remus."

"Thank you! Thank you!" James said with a slightly crazy grin on his face.

"Why do I have the feeling that you shouldn't be that grateful for Harry's gift?" Harold asked warily.

Suddenly Mary gasped, "Oh Harry it's beautiful! You really shouldn't have."

She held a silver necklace grasped in her hands, a single tear shaped diamond hanging on the end.

Harry smiled pleased with her expression, "Of course I should have. Every single sickle was worth the look on your face. Besides, I can never repay you and Uncle Harold."

The older women pulled the boy into a hug.

"Nonsense Harry dear. We are lucky to have you here. I can't tell you how much you mean to us."

Harold smiled slightly and nodded his agreement. James rolled his eyes in exasperation and went back to the presents.

Harry tiredly grinned at his two Slytherin friends. Regulus smiled sheepishly back, while Arct simply smirked.

"All right there Potter?"

"All right. You?"

"Not bad."

"And you, Reg?"

The black haired boy shrugged nonchalantly, "Could be better. I'm just glad to get away from Sirius."

"What'd he do?" Arct asked with a smirk.

Regulus smiled grimly back, "Nothing. More about my mother's terrible screeching when he's home. My ears will be ringing for the next week."

"Well only two more years until he's gone." Arct shrugged, opening the lid of his trunk.

Regulus arched a brow at Harry before focusing in on Arctus, "How do you figure?"

Digging through his trunk the larger boy answered, "He'll be seventeen, right?"

"I suppose so. I can't imagine him sticking around after he's legally an adult. There's no love lost between him and the family."

Harry grinned slightly, "What about that one aunt."

"Disowned, she doesn't count."

"Just like a true pureblood family." Archie nodded appreciatively, eyes still on his trunk's contents.

"Didn't ping you as the purist type" Harry said with a snort.

"Shut it Potter. You know what I meant. Didn't say I approved, just that any Pureblooded family worth their salt would disown _any_ member for marrying a muggleborn…or worst…a muggle!"

Regulus looked uncomfortable, "Can we not talk about my family?"

"We could talk about Potter's."

"Why does it have to be mine? Besides, we always talk about me, mine and…well me!"

The other boys rolled their eyes.

"Actually I think we should talk about…"

"Ah found it!" Arct proclaimed, interrupting Regulus. Sitting back up with a small bag in his hand he closed his trunk.

"You dug through all that for a velvet bag?" Regulus asked flatly, not at all impressed.

"Yes. It's what's in the bag that I actually dug for."

"And that would be?" Harry asked in mild interest.

"These," Archie pulled out three silver quills, "they'll automatically write your notes in class and at the same time they actually keep a record of it in their memory. So if you lose your notes the quill still has them in its' memory and can rewrite them on demand. Pretty nifty, huh?"

Both boys nodded and took one.

"Never heard nor seen these before. Where'd you get them?" Harry asked curiously, Hermione would have loved one. Also right off the top of his head Harry could think of more uses than just educational for this pen.

"My Aunt Mirelle."

"Aunt Mirelle?"

"Slightly crazy old bat that lives in South Africa. You wouldn't believe how hot it was there."

"So that's where you spent Christmas? Thought you looked a bit tanner than usual."

"Wait a minute! Didn't she marry Parison's bastard son?" Reglus asked with morbid curiosity.

Both boys looked amused as Arctus frowned slightly, "I'm not answering that. Where'd you hear that from?"

"Mother."

"So you aren't worth your salt?" Harry interrupted almost laughing.

"Shut it Potter!"

"That's not the only thing mother told me, which is why we need to talk about the Potters."

Arct broke off his fake glare at Harry and looked curiously at the dark haired boy.

"Oh?"

"Yes oh. She was talking an awful lot about a certain Potter. Rather curious about him. Asked a load of questions." Regulus muttered looking down at his hands.

Harry licked his lips, "What did she want to know?"

"Anything…._everything_. She even asked Sirius about you" he snorted, "the first time I've heard her talk to him civilly since I was nine."

Arct and Harry waited for more.

"She didn't enquire until after the Christmas Ball."

"And that's important?" Arctus asked.

"The Malfoys were there."

"Why does it always come back to him?" Regulus groaned, throwing the back of his head against the headrest with a loud thud.

When no answer came he groaned again and rolled his head to where he was looking Harry in the eyes, "Any luck with your Uncle?"

"Unfortunately not. Apparently he doesn't think it appropriate to discuss possible Death Eater activity with an eleven-year-old." Harry replied dryly with a self-depreciating grin.

"Would you if you were in his position?" Sarcasm dripped from Arct's voice, the implied 'idiot' was clear in his tone.

Harry shrugged, not at all bothered that Harold hadn't confided in him. Of course it would have been easier on Harry's conscious but he'd find out one way or the other. His grandparents' gifts weren't just for show.

"Maybe we're just over reacting," Regulus muttered, "Malfoy could just be curious about you. Seeing if you are like your family."

"Not likely. The way my lucky runs no interest is innocent. I just don't see why he's personally interested in me. I'm only a first year."

"Recruitment maybe?" Archie asked hoarsely, "Makes sense. Who would expect a Potter? Even if one was in Slytherin it'd be unlikely they'd turn."

Both boys threw Harry speculative looks.

"Absolutely not! I would rather lick the heel of Malfoy's shoe than kiss Voldemort's robes."

Archie and Regulus glared.

"Don't say his name!" Regulus hissed out while Arct rolled his eyes before continuing, "Besides, I didn't say that you would join, just that you would be a good catch. You are from a respected Light family…one known for their tolerance and power. If you joined then it would cause people to rethink their position. After all, if a Potter joined then maybe they are missing something."

Harry was appalled but grimly agreed with his friends, "but I'm just an eleven-year-old boy, it's not like I'm Dumbledore. Why would adults even care what I choose?

"You won't be eleven forever."

"Or a kid."

"I know that but it'll never happen." Harry said firmly.

"True, but you have to admit it makes sense." Arct pointed out with a slight shrug.

"I know and that's what makes me so unhappy about it."

Regulus rolled his eyes, "With Malfoy watching, I wouldn't be either."

"Here, here."

&

Weeks passed since school had started up again and Harry and his friends were soon swept up in schoolwork and classes to be overly worried about the watchful Head boy. Malfoy had yet to approach them and seemed content to continue his vigil from afar.

A few days after the welcoming feast, Snape cornered Harry in the library and they shared a short, awkward conversation about potions. More conversations followed every so often and soon they were debating the merits of potion ingredients and the proper brewing techniques. While Harry wasn't a potions master, he still had more knowledge than the third year Snape (the Prince book had seen to that) but his knowledge was also expanding from this discussions.

Not wanting to be shown up by Snape, Harry actively applied himself to advanced potions studies, always keeping a few steps ahead of the other boy. After all, a little bit of healthy competition would help both of them in the long run, and it had nothing to do with Harry's pride.

These meetings at first confused Harry until he realized the real reason Snape was making such an effort; Lily had told him to play nice, and played nice he did. This amused the first year to no end, of course if he'd asked the surly third year he would have profusely denied it. While it was subtle, it was obvious to Harry that Snape did indeed like Lily, just as James did; something that had been bothering the eleven-year-old.

There was once a time in his life that Harry had despised, loathed, and _hated_ Snape, but that time was long gone and past. In its' place was a grudging respect that the spy had earned with his efforts in the war. As time passed, even in the past Snape was changing Harry's opinion of him. While Harry had respected the future Snape, he had never really understood him. Slowly, this Snape was filling in the gaps of the missing puzzle pieces and Harry just couldn't bring himself to dislike the older boy.

Of course Regulus and Arctus thought that Harry was completely crazy for associating with Snape, let along doing it alone in some dark corner of the library. Neither first year had forgotten what had happened in the bathroom on Halloween, but neither did anything besides glare protectively whenever the third year was around.

On a more somber if not amusing note, James had finally worked up the nerve to ask Lily to Hogsmeade, which she flatly refused, much to James anger and embarrassment. In turn he had turned her hair green, stormed away and asked a fourth year to prove that he could get any girl he wanted.

Harry heard all this and much more in excruciating detail as Lily complained quietly to him during one of their study sessions, something the older girl had not done in quite some time. When he assured her that James would eventual grow up, she simply snorted in disbelief causing him to smile slightly.

However, as the end of January drew to an end Harry couldn't shake his uneasy feeling that something was about to happen. Well, he knew that something was about to happen if history was to repeat itself but he was sure that wasn't causing his feelings of unease.

Even more disquieting was the fact that he had learned nothing from value by his spying on his grandparents.

He had a small blue journal that automatically transcribed every single word of a conversation if certain key words were mentioned. The journal was tied both to Mary's necklace and Harold's watch chain that they had received for Christmas. Unfortunately, the Potters had not discussed anything of apparent value, but Harry was holding out hope of reading an Order meeting, as Voldemort's next attack was to happen soon.

With mounting dread Harry sent off another warning note to Dumbledore in the same way as the last time, a few days before the attack. He only hoped that the results would be better than the last time.


	18. Loyalty Beyond The Bond

18

**18**

**Loyalty Beyond The Bond**

Dumbledore sat in his office pouring over a letter from the Minister. Minister Bagnold rarely bothered him with trivial matters and this was not one of those times. Another two ministry workers had disappeared in the last week.

Edward Parker was the head of the Internal Affairs Department, a position he had held for nearly twenty years. The wizard was a well liked and highly respected among his peers, and they all considered it extremely unlikely that he would freely leave his wife, daughter who was expecting her first child.

The other disappearance was a new member of The Magical Law Enforcement Squad, a Miss Linda Jackson. If he remembered correctly, Miss Jackson was a talented Hufflepuff who graduated in '69. She joined the Ministry and started training right after Hogwarts and had just passed her final exam two months ago to join the force.

Both disappearances seemed unrelated other than the fact that both worked at the Ministry, but Albus knew better than to assume the two only held that in common. He often berated himself of not stopping Tom before he gained power and support.

When the persona 'Lord Voldemort' surfaced in the late sixties he had quickly gained popular support with the Dark Purebloods. At first Dumbledore only suspected that Lord Voldemort and Tom Riddle was one and the same, but did not push the subject when Voldemort seemed willing to go through the normal channels for his goals.

He began advocating restricting rights of muggleborns and half-bloods, while granting more rights to the purebloods. He also demanded the total separation from the wizard and muggle world, claiming that with each passing generation that wizarding blood was being tainted and diluted by muggle blood. Voldemort fed on and encouraged the ideology and fears of many prominent purebloods and he quickly found all the support he needed…both money and manpower.

However, the Ministry did not consider him a serious threat as none of his proposals had anywhere near the support they needed to pass. This new 'Lord Voldemort' was just another pureblood fanatic who was heading a cause that had existed since the Hogwarts founders' day.

When the government repeatedly refused, Voldemort took his movement underground. This sudden disappearance only seemed to worry Dumbledore; the government was content to believe that Voldemort had just given up. Albus spent the following year researching Voldemort's mysterious past until he was finally convinced that Lord Voldemort was Tom Riddle.

This grim confirmation only increased his worry for he remembered Tom Riddle very well…both from school and afterwards. Albus knew that Riddle had no scruples and was a serious threat to the Wizarding World. He was sure that the only reason Tom seemed to have been going through the official channels was to gain support. Riddle was not dumb enough to think that his proposals would have actually passed.

However, all seemed well for a few years until the disappearances started. Whisperings were heard….much more dark and ominous than before. A new dark lord had risen, more powerful and dangerous than even Lord Grindelwald had been. The Ministry was weary of believing such rumors and put the disappearances off to chance.

Then the attacks started, slowly at first….a muggleborn owned business here, a half-blood's home there. These too they were content to put off to chance, but the unease grew, until they could deny no longer.

The breaking point came when the Death Eaters attacked a prominent shopping district in southern Wales. Business were ransacked, people killed, and all saw the Death Mark flying high over the burning alley. It was then that the Ministry finally acknowledged that there was indeed a terrorist organization behind the attacks and disappearances.

With the Ministry finally acknowledging the threat, Tom stepped up his attacks, coming out of the shadows into plain sight.

Disappearances increased and bodies turned up, the violence only increasing as Death Eaters stepped up their attacks on outspoken critics to the cause. Slowly but surely, the general population began to feel unease at the turning tide, but were confident that the government would handle the situation.

The Ministry, reassured the public that it was not without teeth or a backbone as the newly elected Minister Leach passed a serious of bills to combat the rising threat. Shortly afterwards the well-respected minister was found dead in his office. The official story was that he passed away from a previously undiagnosed heart condition; unofficially he had been assassinated. Soon afterwards Bagnold took over and continued where her predecessor left off, if only a bit more cautious.

The Wizengamot just passed the Death Eater Suspicion Act, in which they could hold and question someone bearing the mark for up to forty-eight hours before charges were to be filed. However, the rules within the Act itself prevented the aurors from doing anything more than posing questions that the suspect may or may not answer. The aurors weren't even allowed to use potions to know whether the suspect was being truthful or not.

Albus sighed and continued to read the letter which outlined some of the Minister's plans.

As his office window opened he continued reading, knowing that the owl would patiently wait for him to finish. When he finished the minister's letter he glanced up with a tired sigh, looking for the waiting owl. When he did not immediately see one he frowned slightly until he noticed an airplane note laying innocently on the edge of his desk.

He quickly pulled out his wand but did nothing more than stare at it, looking for any indication of spells that would destroy it was read. Finding nothing he cast spell after spell but had no luck determining its sender.

With another defeated sigh he summoned the letter in front of him and quickly opened it.

Once again the letters were formed too perfectly to have been penned by hand. He carefully read the note, his expression becoming slightly grim, and his eyes cold.

Standing he made his way over to the fire place and threw a hand of floo powder in the fire.

"Alastor, a word if you could spare the time."

&

Harry was awakened from his slumber as the book burned warmly underneath his hands. With a quick _lumos_ he sat up and peered down at the forming words. Before he went to bed he had spelled his curtains quiet and placed a silencing spell in anticipation of reading the meeting that night.

Grabbing his glasses, he quickly placed them on his nose, pushing them up in slight annoyance.

"_Welcome all. We have much to discuss tonight. I have received information from the previous informant of another attack that will be happening tomorrow night." _

"_Do we know numbers this time, Headmaster?"_

"_Unfortunately not. However, the attack is to happen on the __Adulescentia Center for Young Wizards and Witches in Hanover."_

"_Really? Why would they attack a youth center, Albus? There's nothing of value there!"_

"_Would you be quiet and let the man explain Dodgus!"_

Harry grumbled in annoyance wishing that he had thought beforehand to find a way to tell who was speaking. Now he would have to wait until Spring break until he could rectify the issue.

"_Well I never!"_

"_Of course you never, if you- _

"_That'll be enough Alastor. Dodgus did bring up a poignant point. While normally an attack on a youth center would be only a nuisance, the ACYWW is holding its' annul festival and sleepover for the youths."_

"_How big is this event?"_

"_Quite large from what I've heard. I've already informed the Minister of a possible attack and she's agreed to station several aurors at the event. I will also spend the better part of tomorrow discretely increasing the wards on the center." _

"_Why don't we just tell the director and call the whole thing off?"_

"_And call attention that we have insider information about the Dark Lord's plans? Not likely! We'd also be passing up an opportunity to catch more Death Eaters"._

"_Alastor, there's children there! Surely the safety of the children takes precedent over the captor of Death Eaters!"_

"_Gentlemen, please! Hector, I can assure that the safety of the children does take precedent. They will be protected as long as they remain inside the building, which the ministry aurors will make sure of. Harold, Alastor, and Javis will be stationed at the center tomorrow night if that alleviates your unease. However, Alastor is also right. We must protect our informant. If Voldemort realized that we received knowledge of his plans before the attack he would know he had a betrayer in his midst, putting our informant in extreme danger." _

Harry snorted lightly.

"_So you know who sent the letters then?"_

"_I have a fair idea."_

The black hair boy raised an eyebrow in curiosity. Wondering who Dumbledore could possibly think the informant could be. Clearly, the Headmaster had no idea that it was him considering he was not a Death Eater, and therefore Voldemort would never expect him if he suspected a traitor.

"_Are you going to approach them, Albus?"_

"_Right now they are content to remain anonymous, and I am content to let them believe so for the moment. I may approach them later on, but as of this moment I will leave them be."_

He frowned slightly. As amusing it would be to know that the Headmaster made a complete idiot of himself by trying to _convince_ an actual Death Eater who _was_ loyal to Voldemort that he knew that they were a spy….he just couldn't let it happen. It would be funny and childish on Harry's part, but overall the amusement was not worth the danger. Besides….he wouldn't be able to see the event play out or even read about it unless he found a way to bug the office.

"_The minister knows about us Albus?"_

"_Millicent suspects that I am the leader of the Order of the Phoenix, but like everything else with the Ministry she is willing to ignore it as long as it's non-threatening. Now, I believe that your birthday is next week Hector?"_

"_Why yes Headmaster?"_

"_Excellent. It would be dangerous for us to appear before the attack but some order members need to be in the general area. I believe there is an excellent restaurant right down the street from the center." _

"_An early party headmaster?"_

"_That's the general idea. I believe a small party would work nicely, perhaps eight to ten members? But members you are associated with. When the Death Eaters appear try to keep them distracted as best you can. I have full confidence that you can handle them. I'll place anit-appariation anti-portkey barriers up. The back up Ministry aurors will be arriving by floo into the center. After that I will join the fight. Questions?"_

"_So he's not going to be there?"_

"_Thankfully not. It seems that Voldemort is content to send his followers to do his dirty work on this one."_

Harry read for a few more pages before closing the journal. Now the waiting begins. He thought with a dry laugh.

&

"Harry, are you even paying attention to me?" Regulus demanded, annoyance written clearly across his features.

The other boy jumped slightly, "Hmm, sorry what was that Regulus?"

"You could at least pretend you are listening." Black grumbled.

Harry frowned faintly, "I really am sorry Reg, I just have a lot on my mind."

The boy's annoyance faded and he gained a thoughtful look, "Anything you want to share?"

"No. It's nothing to worry about. Now, you were saying?"

"It wasn't really that important. Just curious what we are going to do tomorrow. The castle should nearly be empty with it being a Hogsmeade weekend and all."

Harry shrugged noncommittally, "It doesn't really matter to me. I think I'll just see if James will pick up a few things for me, other than that I have nothing planned. What do you want to do then?"

"Why don't we go back to that room?" Regulus asked excitedly.

"Any particular reason why?"

Regulus looked at the other boy in disbelief, "Harry it's a room that'll give you anything you want!"

"And what do you want?"

"I don't know yet. But that's the point, if I want it the room will provide! It's a brilliant piece of magic."

Harry looked at his friend in amusement.

"Tomorrow is just for fun. No work or study, and none of that 'light' reading Harry! Just you, me and Arct. We can even play one of those muggle games you told us about."

"We'll see."

"Oh, yes we will!" Regulus muttered with a glare.

"If you are quite done glaring we have to five minutes to get to transfiguration." Harry said while putting his books back in his bag.

"Oh joy, my favorite class!"

"And here I thought you like Defense Against the Dark Arts."

&

Harry hurried through the common room, claiming that he was turning early when his friend protested.

"But Harry tomorrow is Saturday; you have the whole morning to sleep in." Arctus argued in annoyance.

"We're doing something tomorrow, and who ever said if I go to bed now that I can't still sleep in? Besides Regulus is still down here. Why don't you go over there and stay with him?"

Arctus glared in annoyance, "I think I'd rather not he's with his dear cousin."

"Well I have a new book if you are interested." Harry offered timidly.

At the glare he received he shrugged his shoulders giving an overly polite smile before running nimbly up the stairs. The annoyed 'wanker' barely reached his ears as he turned from view.

When he reached the first year dorm he pushed the door open and glanced around as he headed towards his bed. Two dark blue eyes stared at him as stepped through the door.

Harry nodded his head to the staring boy, "Lestrange."

"Potter." The boy nodded nervously back.

"I'm just curious but why are you up here by yourself?" Harry asked in a neutral tone. Every since the break he had tried to at least be polite to the first year.

Rabastan tucked a lone piece of hair behind his right ear, "Rodolphus is busy and both Moon and Rosier managed to get detention together."

"How'd they manage that?"

The nervous boy rolled his eyes, "Got caught setting off a dung bomb by Filch's office."

Harry let out a low chuckle and moved to his bed, "Night."

He heard a soft, "Goodnight Potter" before he shut his curtains.

He quickly spelled and silenced them with a wave of his left hand before he pulled out his journal and read through the new pages. Noticing nothing of consequence he laid the book aside, lowered his shields and attempted to drift asleep.

With little effort he quickly slipped into the welcomed darkness.

Hours passed before he was quickly sucked into a vision.

"The Aurors will be there?" He snarled slightly, his wand pressed lightly between his fingertips.

"Yes, my lord."

"How did they find out?"

"The Minister ordered them there because of the high concentration of children, in case something _were_ to occur_ they_ would be protected."

Harry lifted his lip in distaste, "How convenient."

He was slightly amused as he watched his Death Eater bite his tongue, unsure if he was meant to agree or not.

"How many Aurors will be there?"

"Five milord."

Harry nodded as if he already knew the number, "Who are they?"

"Potter, Moody, Jaxson, Tucker, and Raston."

He glared at the cowed follower, "Moody….yes, I think I'll be attending after all. That auror needs to be dealt with, already has be became a thorn in my side." Harry let a homicidal smile come over his face as he lowly hissed, "Yes, he needs to be dealt with indeed."

Harry jerked awake and quickly slammed his shied back up, his scar throbbing painfully. This wasn't right! Tom had never went to the original attack. Dumbledore wouldn't be prepared; he'd be setting up the wards and unable to help. Only Albus stood a chance against Tom, the Order members, however good would stand little chance. And Harold was going to be there…he wouldn't stand by while Voldemort attempted to kill Moody.

Harry quickly grabbed a piece of parchment and penned a quick note before casting his usual spells. Just as he was about to cast the final spell to send it to Dumbledore, he paused realizing that the Headmaster wasn't in the castle.

"Damn." He muttered thinking furiously.

How was he going to send the letter? An owl would never make it, and he couldn't just leave the castle and appairate there.

"Fawkes!" Harry whispered quietly.

With a sudden burst of flame, the majestic bird was sitting on Harry's knees.

"Fawkes, I need you to take this to Dumbledore. Please!" he looked pleadingly into the bird's intelligent eyes.

The phoenix leaned forward and plucked the letter out of his hands letting out a soft thrill.

"And um, can you please not tell him who sent it? That's kind of important too."

Fawkes let out another reassuring thrill before flashing away.

Lying back down, he once again lowered his shields in anticipation.

&

Albus Dumbledore hummed to himself as he placed another lemon drop in his mouth. He had spent the majority of the day at the youth center setting up the wards that would prevent people with the ill intent from entering. With the wards taken care of, he flooed back to Hogwarts for a quick dinner before he appariated back to begin the wait. While the letter had mentioned a rough time line of the attack he'd rather be too early than too late when the Death Eaters arrived. The wait would also give him some time to ponder.

He leaned into the shadows of the nearby building, enjoying his candy while his mind raced furiously. While he had assured the Order that he knew the identity of the mysterious informant, the truth was that he was only vaguely sure. Lucius Malfoy had been acting slightly odd as of late…but was he the real informant?

Before the beginning of the year Albus would have been in quiet disbelief that the Headboy would do anything to help the headmaster. That boy seemed to dislike Albus almost as much as the boy's father did. Added onto the fact that Lucius appeared to be just as big of a blood purest as the rest of his family and it seemed very unlikely, but stranger things had happened.

Maybe he'd set up a meeting with the seventh year…it should answer his questions, but he'd have to be discrete. If the boy really was a spy then he didn't need others to know, word spreads quickly at Hogwarts.

Albus was pulled out of his thoughts when a sudden burst of flames lit up the ally. He's grip on his wand lessened as he saw his faithful phoenix. Glancing around to see if anyone noticed he turned back to the bird with one eyebrow rose in question.

Fawkes let out a warbling thrill of amusement and stuck out his right leg as he beat his wings lazily to stay afloat.

Albus quickly took the letter and broke the wax seal before opening it.

His eyes narrowed and the usual sparkling blue turned to sheets of ice.

"So Tom decided to come after all. This is troubling, it will change everything."

Looking up he looked at Fawkes in question and slight annoyance, "Once I get back to Hogwarts we will be having a long conversation."

The red bird let out a sound that could only be a laugh as he flamed away.

Albus placed the letter in his pocket, "A long chat indeed."

&

Harry felt a sharp jolt of pain as Voldemort's anger coursed through the link and with a blurred images and a swirl of color Harry was pulled into the vision from his dream.

He immediately noted that the battle seemed to have been raging for some time now.

Harry glared at the old wizard, "I will _kill_ you _Dumbledore_! It is not I who should not have come here tonight, but rather you. Very foolish, old man."

The other wizard's eyes were like sheets of ice, "Why are you really doing this Tom? Why attack children?"

With a cold laugh Harry threw a viscous looking spell at the headmaster, which the older man quickly blocked with a piece of debris from a nearby wall.

"Why? _Why_? Dumbledore you _must_ be a fool." Harry hissed in annoyance, absolute hate flooding his veins as he looked at the headmaster, "The question is 'why not'?"

Albus threw a golden beam spell at him, along with several pieces of debris, transfiguring them midair as they went.

"They are innocents Tom! What purpose could it serve?"

Harry narrowed his eyes in annoyance, glancing around taking in the battle around them. "You are pathetic old man. There are no innocents; they are either with me or against me. I will not tolerate weakness and if they die then they were too weak. Their deaths will serve my purpose well. All will come to fear and respect me!"

Dumbledore's face hardened and he stepped up his attack, "I'm sorry for I failed you Tom, but I will not allow you to harm them."

In his bed Harry groaned in pain as his scar seemed to split in two.

"You can not beat me fool! You can not hope to match my power!"

"Yet you do not contest that I failed you?" Albus asked softly, while they circled each other.

Another flare of pain shot through Harry's head.

"You think too highly of yourself, you have done nothing except hinder my way to greatness! Even as a first year you could tell how great I'd become, and you feared me for it. Afraid I'd take what was rightfully mine! But you will soon be dealt with."

"I _am_ sorry Tom." Dumbledore murmured quietly, staring intently into Harry's eyes.

An unholy fury ripped through him and he began to wildly throw whatever curse came to his mind at the old man.

Harry was ripped from the vision and laid sweating profusely, and shaking slightly in his bed. His head felt as if it was about to burst as it throbbed painfully. Sitting up slowly Harry raised his shields and then downed a headache relief potion quickly followed by a pepper-up.

Rubbing his scar in annoyance he thought darkly, 'Albus always knew what to say to get Riddle in a snit.'

Waving his hand the time appeared before him and he quietly got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. There was no way he'd be getting back to sleep after what he just saw.

&

It was nearly five thirty before he arrived back at Hogwarts. When Voldemort and his Death Eaters arrived he had only had time to put up the anti-portkey wards before he joined in the fight.

Tom had seemed intent on entering the building, and it was only when he had confronted him that Tome ceased his attempt at entry and engaged him in the fight.

He had attempted to distract and hold off the dangerous man until he realized how fruitless it was to continue on with the fight. The Aurors had arrives, and along with the Order members quickly out numbered the Death Eaters. The fight had been furious on both sides; once they realized they were outnumbered the Death Eaters had fought all that more frantically, until Tom ordered their retreat. With one last parting remark, the Dark Lord left, his Death Eaters apparating after him. The unconscious Death Eaters were left behind when their wards stopped their portkeys, and quickly taken into custody.

Albus had then spent the following hour speaking with the Minister before flooing back to his office.

"Now my dear friend we are going to have a talk."

The bird stared blankly back at him.

Albus' face narrowed in annoyance.

"You do realize how important it is to know who is sending those notes, for our sake as well as their protection."

Fawkes narrowed his eyes, raising his head feathers in disbelief.

"Fawkes, do not give me that look! I am not in the mood to play your mind games today. It is imperative that I know who they are…please, old friend trust my judgment. " The headmaster pleaded standing in front of the bird. "I will not do them any harm!"

_I do trust your judgment Albus._

"Finally, I was beginning to think you were going to be silent forever." Relief was evident in the aged voice. "Now who is this informant?"

_They have placed their trust in me as well. I will not betray them._

"But Fawkes-

_No buts Albus. You should really learn to trust me more, if you needed to know I would inform you._

"And what makes you so sure that I don't need to know?"

Fawkes let out a very indignant snort.

_Honestly if you were a cat you would have been dead long ago._

"Undoubtedly."

_I didn't mean from old age either. _Fawkes let out a chuckling thrill. _I will not inform you who they are. If and when they wish to approach you I will let them do it on their own, and no prodding and begging from you will make me change my mind._

Albus glared at his familiar for a few moments before his face lightened considerable.

"Would you agree to take them a note?"

_Only if I see you write it in front of me._

Some of the twinkle left the headmaster's eyes but he heartily agreed anyway.

Sitting behind his desk he thought for a few minutes before penning out a quick note. Standing he made his way over to Fawkes before holding the letter out to him.

With one last annoyed thrill the phoenix grabbed the letter before disappearing in a flash.


	19. What's In a Name

**Chapter 19**

**What's In a Name**

Harry looked down in disbelief at the letter in his hands. He had been shocked when Fawkes had flamed in on him while he was taking a shower; neither had been overly pleased at the occurrence, Harry even less so when he spotted the letter from the Headmaster. Only the phoenix's reassuring chirps had convinced him that the letter was safe to take and Albus hadn't cast anything on it.

At first he planned on just ignoring the letter from the old wizard but Fawkes had remained sitting on a sink and staring at him intently, until he opened the letter and read its contents.

It contained the headmaster's gratitude and some very convincing reasons why it would be best to meet. If Harry didn't know how conniving Albus could be when he wanted something, he would actually think that the Headmaster cared for his safety. The letter ended with an inquiry of how he'd be able to contact Harry in the future.

Harry had slowly penned back his response making sure to be simple and too the point.

_Dumbledore,_

_Do not contact me. I will contact you when necessary. If it is absolutely vital that you reach me, and by vital I mean that Armageddon is about to occur, then use your phoenix. He will know where I am and if it is safe to contact me. Do not under any circumstance attempt to approach me if you have a theory of who I am. Let me assure you, your guess would be wrong and such a mistake would be tremendously stupid on your part. I will only reveal myself when and if I have no other choice. As for my name, Thanatos will work for the time being._

_-Thanatos_

Harry grinned at the name.

Albus would surely look for some latent connection to link the information to some poor unfortunate soul. Hopefully, the wizard would take the useless track and overcomplicate the whole issue, looking for an association that wasn't there. It would be amusing if he took the whole 'son of Darkness and Night' fact seriously.

However, Harry had chosen the name because Thanatos was the god who personified death. Not only did he kill Voldemort, but he had escaped death many times, even after he killed Tom and was 'killed' by some random Death Eater, he hadn't died. If anything, Harry could honestly say that he had a rather close, flirtatious, if not twisted relationship with Death. Besides, what had Voldemort feared the most?

Satisfied with the note he quickly sent Fawkes on his way with an affectionate pat on the head before leaving the bathroom and dressing quickly.

Looking in his mirror he noticed the bags under his eyes and he quickly cast a charm over them. The bags seemed to disappear and his face took on a healthy rosy hue.

At a rustling he glanced up to see the Lestrange boy tiredly getting out of bed.

"All right there?"

Two blue eyes glanced up to meet his own, and Rabastan tensed slightly, "Alright Potter. You? You're up early?"

Harry nodded his head, making it a point of turning his back and looking back in the mirror, "I'm fine. Seems turning in early equals rising early for me, couldn't sleep another wink. What time did Moon and Roiser get in?"

Rabastan relaxed slightly as Harry turned his back before shrugging his shoulders and stretching slightly.

"Around a quarter till twelve or so. Filch had them scrubbing the Great Hall with tooth brushes."

Harry winced slightly in sympathy, "Filch is a sadistic bastard."

The brown haired boy nodded his agreement, "I don't see why Dumbledore keeps him around, the man is clearly a squib. In my father's day they had a real wizard as the caretaker, but that was when Dippet was the headmaster."

"Dumbledore must have his reasons for keeping the squib around, we just don't know them." Harry said while brushing the cream through his hair, the unruly locks lying flat. He sensed the other boy nod his head in agreement.

"Why don't you leave your hair in its natural state?"

He looked up at Rabastan, "It's too unruly. At least with the gel I can actually make it do something."

The boy nodded before walking to the bathroom.

With a snap of the lid, Harry closed the trunk and grabbed a book off his bed. He'd read until the boys got up for breakfast.

&

Weeks passed and it seemed as if Dumbledore had heeded his words as he had not attempted to contact him, but Harry doubted that Albus would leave the mystery along for long. He couldn't really blame the headmaster for wanting to know who the informant was, but it was annoying all the same. The visions as he slept came increasingly and more strongly than he ever remembered before. And the visions themselves were changing. No longer did splitting pain accompany them, but rather with each vision the pain seemed to lessen. This fact confused him, but he pushed it to the back of his mind to be pondered on later when he had less to worry about.

Another thing that had been bothering him was that Malfoy had stopped stalking him altogether. The blond seemed to care less at what Harry did as long as it wasn't something unbecoming of the house, but Harry couldn't shake the feeling that he was still being watched. After a few days of constantly checking over his shoulders he put the feelings off to paranoia, it had been years since someone had been watching him. He assumed the constant itch between his shoulder blades had become a side effect of that stalking.

&

"Happy Birthday Jamie boy!" Sirius yelled happily before raising his bottle of butter beer to his lips and taking a large gulp.

James grinned widely at the four other boys. The five sat in the kitchens at table in the corner. It was loaded with foods of all sorts, with a large cake in the center. The scene was achingly familiar as one very similar had occurred just a few weeks prior when Remus turned fourteen.

"Finally fourteen!" Peter yelled out jovially while beaming along with an amused Remus.

"Yes, finally. I am now a man, may all tremble at my feet."

"Tremble James?"

"I am Gryffindor hear me roar!"

"Terrifying."

"You're an old man now." Harry deadpanned in a sad voice, his eyes wide and a frown planted firmly on his face.

The boys paused and looked at the first year.

James frowned looking over at his cousin, "I'm not _that_ old Harry."

"You do realize after you reach fourteen everything goes down hill right? Fifth year have the OWLs, sixth year you begin your NEWT classes, seventh year you take your NEWTs, and finally you graduate and get a real job. You're already half way done with your Hogwarts education. Just think afterwards your skin begins to sag, veins become visible, teeth fall out, and your hair recedes. Want me to continue?" Harry asked seriously.

"And my parents call me the dreadful optimistic." Sirius said with a laugh.

"That's not all they call you Black."

"Shove off brat."

"Happy birthday James." Harry said with a grin after he stuck his tongue out at Sirius.

James grinned widely back at him before turning to the small pile of gifts on the table, "_Presents_!"

Harry rolled his eyes as the older boy reached for the closets one.

Remus slapped the reaching hand away with a pointed glare, "You are suppose to open presents_ after_ we eat and you blow out your candles."

"But _Remus_…" Both Sirius and James whined together.

The werewolf glared back unrelenting, "No, eat your food."

"Yes _mum_."

The four Gryffindors dug into the piles of food, while Harry picked at the food on his plate. After they were done eating the candles were lit and after they sung out the traditional birthday song, James blew out the candles and lunged at the presents.

"Let's see…which one, which one? How about blue!" James exclaimed happily before pulling out a blue wrapped gift from the side of the pile.

He tore the wrapping off and ripped into the box, smiling when a type of candy he had never seen before fell out, "What's a Mars Bar, Harry?"

"Muggle candy bar."

"Are they any good?" James unwrapped one sniffing at the chocolate coating.

"They're my favorite muggle type. I grew up on them."

"How is it Harry that you know so much about the muggles?" Peter asked curiously.

"My godparents. Zacharie was a half-blood and Helen was muggleborn. After we moved back to the Isles we lived in a muggle village. You could almost say I know as much about muggles as a muggleborn."

The mouse like boy nodded his understanding while James took a bite of the bar.

"Mmm, these are better than Chocoballs."

Sirius perked up and looked at the remaining candy bars, "Really?"

Smiling slightly Harry took another three candy bars from his pocket and threw one to each remaining boy.

"The other blue one is also from me James, just don't shake it."

James gave a mock salute before grabbing the gift, and as he continued to open his presents Harry asked, "You guys never did tell me how you found the kitchens."

Around a bite Sirius answered, "When we were young innocent first years…"

"Innocent? You? Sirius Black? Remus and Peter I could see to an extent as innocent at eleven, but you and James?"

Glaring slightly the older boy continued, "well about as innocent as we could get. Anyways, as I was saying…as first years a seventh year took us under his wing."

"Oh?"

"Yes _oh_! Seth Orisison." Sirius grinned widely.

"Great Gryffindor, that one." Peter agreed, "Though we blame Remus on him."

"There's nothing wrong with me."

"So you say Remy."

Remus scowled at the three Gryffindors, "I'll have you know that simply because I'm smart enough to pretend to be a law abiding student does not make me a pillock."

His tone indicated that it was a long argument that was fought often with the same results.

Sirius turned back to Harry ignoring his friend's claim, "As I was saying, Seth originally showed us many of Hogwarts' secrets until we could make our way around without Filch breathing down our necks."

Peter and James nodded in agreement, "He even snuck in counter ban items when he went to Hogsmead for us."

"Anyways, after a full day of _educational _activities we were all starving and Seth led us here to feast to our hearts contents. We've been coming back every since, I believe the house elves like it too! I'm sure they'd make anything to make us happy."

Remus had a dreamy look on his face, "Chocolate Tarts…"

"Strawberry Cheesecake…" Sirius grinned widely.

Peter rubbed his stomach with a small smile, "Peanut Butter Yum-Yums…"

"And that _Apple Pie_." The four boys groaned together.

"Does your whole entire life revolve around your stomachs?" Harry asked dryly.

Sirius, Peter, and James looked confusedly at the younger boy as Remus drawled, "No there are also quidditch, pranks, and females. Though I believe I'm the only one who's interested in the last."

&

"Harry!"

He looked up from the book he was reading. James was striding towards him carrying a bag. Harry blinked in surprise as Prince gave James a dark glare.

"Hello cousin dearest!"

"James? What are you doing in the library?

Harry's confusion must have shown clearly on his face as James scowled slightly.

"You know Harry, I have been known to inhabit the library on occasion. It's not that odd of an occurrence." James said as he dropped the bag which landed on the table with a loud thud, once again gaining a glare from the librarian.

"I haven't seen you in here yet this year."

James waved the statement away as he took a seat, "I don't need to come to the library, any book I could possibly need Remus already has with him. It's more convenient to do our work in the common room. More distractions."

"More distractions?"

The older boy nodded his agreement, "That and we don't have that hag breathing down our necks the whole time."

At Harry's questioning glance James shot a dirty look over to the librarian who was still glaring back.

"Madame Prince? What did you do to incur her wrath?"

"Nothing too drastic. It was an accident really. Destroy a few priceless books and she's after your blood." The messy haired boy shrugged.

Harry groaned and let his head fall to the table with a dull thunk. James' answer finally explained by Prince had watched him like a hawk in his original time line and in the past. It really was James fault; the thought did cheer him up slightly.

Lifting his head, Harry stared at the bag, "What's in the bag?"

"What you asked me to pick up?"

"I had totally forgotten about that!" Harry exclaimed as he pulled the bag towards him. Inside were six leather bound journals; two pink, one blue, one maroon, one green, and one black.

"Brilliant!"

James rolled his eyes, "Are you going to tell me what you wanted them for?"

"Nope."

"Please?"

"Nope."

The older boy rolled his hazel eyes before standing, "Well since we have nothing further to discuss I'm heading back to the tower. We have some plotting to do."

Harry looked up at the boy, "I sincerely hope that you little joke is not targeting my house again."

"Why not? Scared?" James asked with a grin.

"Terrified," Harry drawled out, "Actually you should change which house you target. Keeps the whole school on their toes and the Slytherins will be less likely to retaliate if other houses are being pranked too."

The hazel eyed boy rolled his eyes, "Why should I care if they retaliate? It's not as if they could actually do anything too awful."

Green eyes glinted in challenge, "Is that so James?"

James cringed at the tone of voice, "You wouldn't even dare!"

Harry let a dark smile cross his lips, "Try me."

With one last worried look James grabbed his belongings and quickly left the library.

Smiling slightly, Harry turned back to his work, only to stop as the previous occupied seat became occupied once again.

"Lily."

"Harry." She greeted with a smile.

"Why didn't you join when James was here?"

"Don't be ridiculous. I have to spend all day in class with the pillock, I'm not about to spend my free time around him as well." She huffed, pulling out the books from her bag.

"What did Potter bring you?" She finally asked when her books were organized to her taste.

"Just delivering something he picked up for me on his last visit to the village. You'll eventually find out." Harry said with a smile.

"I hope it's not anything banned." She said pointedly.

His smile widened, "Of course not. I have the reputation of the good child to uphold."

Lily turned to the side and glared into the shadows of one of the nearby bookshelves, "Sev, get out here and quit skulking. Potter is already gone."

The third-year Slytherin stepped out of the shadows with a slight scowl on his face, "Yes, but his smell lingers."

Harry's eyes narrowed slightly at the older boy. It was one thing for his mother to insult his father, but entirely different when Snape did it.

Seeing the look in Harry's eyes, Lily quickly diverted the argument about to breakout, "Let's not spend our time talking about Potter."

Harry bit his tongue and went back to his bookwork.

&

The dawn of the last quidditch match for Slytherin dawned bright and cold. The sky was slightly overcast, and dew clung to the fresh grass and the green leaves. Excitement was ripe as the house talked animatedly at breakfast, donning their green and silver scarves and snake pins. Harry noted with amusement that the majority of the students in the Great Hall donned yellow and black in support of the badgers. Only the teachers and students who could care less about quidditch were in neutral colors.

Harry mock glared over at the Marauders who were cheerfully sporting black robes with Hufflepuff scarves and badger pins on their chests as the mail arrived. James and Sirius grinned cheekily at him, rubbing the pins before laughing at the glare they received back. A small owl dropped the Daily Prophet into Harry's plate before grabbing a piece of bacon off of Regulus' plate and taking flight again. Regulus rolled his eyes at the Marauders' antics before grabbing the paper off of Harry's plate and unfolding it.

"Saturday May 13th…hmmm, ah, naturally, there's a shocker no doubt." He muttered reading the front page.

Harry and Arcturus looked over at the boy as he continued to 'hmmm' and 'ah.'

"Something to share _Reggie_?" An annoyed Arcturus finally asked after another few minutes of Regulus' mindless mutterings.

Regulus looked up from the paper, a glint of amusement in his eyes, "Hmmm, what was that _Archie_?"

"Why are you so interested in the paper this morning?" Harry asked quickly, hoping to head off the pointless bickering that was sure to follow over the nicknames.

Holding the paper up, Harry and Arcturus could clearly read the headline proclaiming, "_A Squashing Good Time with the Giants by Berry M. Good_."

"What in the world?" Arcturus demanded.

Harry grabbed the paper and the two boys quickly read through the article. According to the article a group of envoys from Voldemort was found recently in the mountains squashed. The writer seemed rather jubilant about the fact and happily speculated on why the giants killed them. His most prominent theory involved a love triangle gone wrong with the alpha giant's wife. When the affair came to light the giants retaliated killing the group in which the lover belonged.

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever read!" Arcturus scoffed slightly outraged as Regulus laughed at his expression.

"It does sound like a rather bad soap." Harry agreed.

Both boys looked over at him in confusion.

"What does soap, let along bad soap, have to do with this inane article?"

"Honestly, you purebloods live under a rock." Harry scoffed. "Soap Opera is a type of muggle TV show that has overdramatic, ridiculous and bogus plot lines about the love lives of its' characters."

The two scowled back, "Potter, I'm just going to ignore that you know that."

"The muggle part or soap opera part?"

"Both."

Harry rolled his eyes in response, "If it makes you feel any better just think of it as moving pictures with sound that acts out a bad romance novel."

"Why would that make us feel better?" Regulus asked with a scoff. "That's even worst than trying to picture it in your head."

"Actually the article sounds like an opener to a joke." Harry grinned at the two as they cast another scornful look his way. "A Giantess, a Death Eater, and the Giantess' mate walk into a bedroom-"

"Potter!"

"Do _not_ finish that sentence."

Harry looked between the two smiling slightly, "What? Surely it's not that bad-"

"That mental picture will scar me for the rest of my days, have you even seen a giant?" Arcturus asked contemptuously.

"They're reasonably good looking if you can get past all the hair." Harry shrugged thoughtfully, trying not to glance in Hagrid's direction.

"You're bloody insane!"

Regulus nodded his head in agreement.

"Besides, the whole idea is absurd. The Dark Lord dislikes half-breeds about as much as he does muggles. If one of the Death Eaters really did have something going on with a giantess, his fellows would be more likely to kill him than a giant."

Harry nodded in agreement, "Which just proves another theory I have about the Wizarding World."

"Oh?"

"Clearly the muggles are better when it comes to factual reporting. Nowhere in muggle Britain would you find an article in a national paper riddled with the speculation of a bad romance triangle with another species unless it was fact."

"What other species are you talking about?" Regulus asked curiously. "I didn't know the muggles were aware of other humanlike beings?"

Eyes sparkling madly Harry called out in a cheerful voice, "Whoever said anything about humanlike?"

Regulus and Arcturus looked confused and intrigued.

"What do you-" Arcturus began but cut off as a look of revulsion flooded his face.

Harry's laughter rang out as the two Slytherins turned a color to rival their scarves and they ignored the plates in front of them.

"I hate you Potter."

&

The three boys began to make their way through the students. The Slytherins around them gloating loudly and still cheering at the victory over Hufflepuff.

Surprisingly, the game had been close as the badgers had concentrated on defense against the snakes, keeping the points down while their seeker scoured the pitch for the snitch. Hufflepuff's game plan was the same as it was in the future, concentrating heavily on teamwork rather than relying on one or two good players. The Slytherin's strategy was much the same as their future's counterpart as well. The snakes easily outweighed and out muscled the smaller badgers, and used to their advantage. They easily pushed the smaller players around, but unsurprisingly the Hufflepuff's banded together and pushed back. It had only been by fortune, or misfortune, depending on whom you ask, that the Slytherin seeker had spotted the small elusive ball while it hid close to the Hufflepuff's goal posts. The final score was 250-90.

Arcturus smiled widely as a chant started up from the green and silver clad students. The Hufflepuffs seemed to take the gloating in stride and their modest smiles showed that they were satisfied with their team's performance.

As Harry, Regulus and Arct reached the front row there was a slight disturbance behind them, and a voice rang out, "Watch where you're going!"

Both Harry and Arcturus ignored the yell but Regulus turned back to watch curious at the fight unfolding.

A furious looking Slytherin pushed one of the older Hufflepuffs down, back into the crowd of unaware students. The surprised boy fell into a group of students moving down the stairs, who also fell forward on more students.

At the yells Harry turned around just in time to see one of the falling students hit Regulus. The stunned first year barely had the time to register what had happened before he was falling over the ledge.

Acting purely on instinct, Harry lunged forward and grabbed the sleeve of Regulus' robe.

A desperate hand quickly grasped his hand, pulling Harry forward. Luckily, Arcturus grabbed the back of his robes before he too could fall from the stands.

Struggling with the weight and fearing releasing a hand to attempt to levitate his friend, Harry quickly called out, "Help!"

Lucius Malfoy ran forward, pushing over a second year that was in the way, and then grabbed Regulus' robes. Together the Headboy and Harry pulled the first year back into the stands and pushed him away from the side.

The youngest Black was, pale and shaking slightly. His eyes wide and he looked like he had seen a ghost or possibly his own life. Harry still clung to the other boy's robe, as Arcturus clung to his own.

"Regulus are you ok?"

Gulping slightly the boy nodded his head, "I-I'm fine."

"Are you sure Regulus?" The seventh year blond asked. After he had seen that the boy was back over the side he had immediately released the boy's robes.

Harry, Arcturus, and Regulus regarded the older boy with surprise and apprehension.

"F-fi-fine. Just a-bit shocked."

Malfoy nodded and turned away, walking quickly through the crowd to where Professor McGonagall was yelling at the wayward Slytherin.

Harry and Arct released the robes they were holding and looked at each other, hearts still racing.

"Lucky, Potter here has a good catch." Yaxley quipped wryly.

Regulus nodded in agreement, "After that catch I think I can forgive for that picture he painted this morning."

Harry rolled his eyes relieved that his friend was ok before backing away to give the boy a minute to gain his bearings. He looked around at the students getting up. Many were angry, a few holding bloody noses or bruised hands which had been stepped on. Some of the girls were crying, and the injured boys were murmuring angrily and glaring threateningly at the boy that was currently being chewed out.

Turning his eyes back to Arct, he smiled slightly at the teasing the boy was giving Reg about his brush with death, which seemed to be cheering up the boy somewhat.

Harry turned his back to the crowd and looked over the quidditch pitch, his heart just starting to slow down.

Out of nowhere, a force hit his back, his eyes widened as he flipped over the rail, his head and face hit the wall of the tower before the ground raced up to meet him at an incredible rate. His mind was numb and time began to slow until impact….then everything sped up and only one thing mattered.

_Pain_.

Pain coursed through his body, and the one thought that ran through his head as his vision began to turn red, and darkness claimed him was that someone was screaming his name.


	20. Endings

First, I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed last time. The response was astounding...therefore, I've decide that I need to work in cliff hangers more often (grins). I had more reviews in the first 24 hours of the posting than I did for the entire previous chapter, hence the decision for future cliff hangers. :P However, because some many reviewed (and that was a bit mean for me to end like that) I've decided to update much earlier than usual. Hope it's to your liking!

-Andrea

**Chapter 20**

**Endings**

The door to the hospital wing burst and a James stumbled in, slightly out of breath and breathing hard.

"Madame Pomfrey! Madame Pomfrey!" Running forward he crossed the wing and loudly knocked on the door. "You've go to be in." James muttered under his voice as he continued to bang.

He balanced himself, to keep from falling forward, when suddenly the door opened and a concerned yet irate nurse stood in the doorway.

"What is it Mr. Potter?" Poppy snapped, her eyes moving over his form for any obvious injuries.

She narrowed in on his pale face and shaking hands, "Professor McGonagall sent me ahead to inform you that she's bringing Harry up. He was knocked off one of the quidditch towers."

Poppy let out a shocked gasp and immediately started to get the potions she suspected she would need.

James stood there as she bustled about, staring at a spot on the floor now that his task was complete.

"There was so much blood…blood everywhere." James whispered, seemingly lost in thought, "He was just lying there, twisted oddly. There was blood everywhere. So much blood. I didn't know someone had that much blood."

The nurse paused in her collection of potions and pushed James to a bed, "Sit."

She frowned when the boy complied without a single protest. She went back to the potions and grabbed two.

"Take these Potter."

He did as he was told and soon his eyes started drifting shut. He lay on the bed and a few minutes later he was out.

With a flick of her wand he was snugly tucked in.

She turned back to the potions, collecting more until the doors banged open again and Minerva walked in, a floating body behind her.

Poppy quickly went to them and levitated the boy onto a bed. James was right, the boy was covered in blood, however, when dealing with head wounds there was always a lot of blood.

&

Voices whispered in his head, but he could not understand what they meant. Only pieces here and there but none of it made sense.

_Not right…_

_Mistake…_

_It wasn't time…_

_Send him back…_

_But the others-_

_Doesn't matter…_

_Things have changed…_

_It's too important…_

_WAKE UP!_

At the yelled command Harry snapped his eyes open.

Pain immediately accompanied the light that flooded his vision and his eyes instinctively slammed shut. Knowing better than to groan aloud he bit his lip instead, cursing at the pain in his head. As he began to block out the pain in his head, the pain in the rest of his body caught his attention. His ribs burned and prickled unpleasantly, as well as his left arm and both legs. Straining slightly, he felt his legs, both were in some sort of casts.

Where was he? What happened?

Stilling himself mentally and physically, he reached out with his senses.

The first thing to hit him was the smell. The air was too clean, tinted with disinfectants to be anywhere but a hospital or doctors office. Was he in a hospital? Had he been in an accident?

Feeling the sheets underneath his hand, he was immediately comforted. Only one hospital had sheets that he was this familiar with.

Raising a hand to his head, he immediately encountered a large bandage. Running his hands over his face he felt many scratches and bruises. He winced as his hand touched a particularly large bruise on his temple.

Slowly he cracked his eyes opened. He was indeed in the hospital wing. Afternoon light fluttered in through the opened windows, and the curtains blew gently in the breeze.

Well the where was answered; now he simply lacked the why.

He glanced down at the parts of his body he could see. His left arm was in a cast, as well as both legs, and if he wasn't mistaken someone had bandaged his ribs.

He grinned grimly to himself. Poppy really should give him his own personal bed.

At the thought he giggled, his thoughts hazy and slow.

Harry turned his head to his left, noticing said nurse standing there. He was slightly surprised that he hadn't heard her enter and it showed on his face. Shrugging it off, he decided to smile roguishly, "Well Poppy fancy seeing you here."

Pomfrey raised an eyebrow in surprise and concern, "Well now mister Potter. It's good to see you awake."

Harry stared at the nurse's young face before murmuring in surprise, "You look fabulous. Was it a new spa treatment? Really shaved the years right off. Perhaps I'll get it for Minerva for her birthday." Harry looked thoughtful before throwing the nurse another glance. "You don't think she'd be offended, do you?"

At the outburst and questioning look from the bandaged boy an unreadable look crossed her face before it settled back onto one of concern.

"Mr. Potte-

Harry groaned in annoyance, stifling a yawn, "Poppy we've known each other far too long for you to be calling me Mr. Potter. Mr. Potter was my father. Though I suppose he didn't like you calling him Mr. Potter either." He let out another giggle, "Besides, you've been patching me up since first year. I daresay you know more about me than my own mother. It's just Harry."

The nurse gave him another odd look, "Mist-err, Harry. What is the last thing you remember?"

Harry stared blankly back at her. Why would she ask him that, unless-?

"I hit my head, didn't I?"

&

Harry tossed about on the bed, sweating slightly as he slept. Random images shooting through his head.

_He was smiling at a dark haired boy. No, it wasn't him, the eye color was all wrong. James? His father? Yes that was him, and the dark haired boy? Sirius? He looked like Sirius, the same smile and eyes. _

Flash

_A laughing red head rolling her eyes at something he said. Ginny! His beautiful Ginny. But that's not right, her hair was all wrong and the eyes. No, not Ginny. Then who?_

_Mum?_

Flash

_A boy entered his compartment as he glanced up from his book. The boy looked like Sirius but he wasn't smiling._

Flash

_The boy's lank hair hung in his face as he leaned over the potions book. Dark eyes looked at him in triumph as the boy pointed to something on the page before smirking in satisfaction._

Flash

_A girl with curly hair bounced on the bench next to the boy who looked like Sirius. The boy was smiling now, his eyes lighting as he laughed._

_He knew the boy…Regulus?_

Flash

_He was sitting on the floor present paper littered the floor around him. He looked up into James' smiling face and then to the man and women sitting in the chairs. Both of them smiled at him._

The memories came faster and faster until he couldn't take it anymore.

Harry woke with a gasp, head aching terribly.

He cursed silently as he massaged his head. Madame Pomfrey assured him that the headaches would soon pass after he regained all of his memories, but until then he'd have to just suck it up.

The headaches were not from his resurfacing memories, but rather the restorative potion. The potion was working in overtime to reestablish the pathways back to all the memories from the past year. Luckily for him, there were ways to regain lost memories as long as they hadn't been wiped away by magic.

Memory loss caused by magic actually wiped out and destroyed the memory. It was a bit like erasing pencil with a good eraser. The memory was simply erased, and if the caster was good you would not be able to tell that the person's memories had been tampered with. Usually however, the less skilled obliviators left a smudge on the mind. Not enough to cause the person undue suspicion, but enough to cause them to pause and feel as if they were forgetting something.

While memories lost from physical causes, partly damaged or fully, could be restored even if the pathways to such memories were severed.

Harry was just grateful that he wasn't going to turn out like Lockhart.

Luckily, after his first wakening in the Hospital Wing after a week of being unconscious Harry had fallen back asleep and when he awoke three days later he had remembered exactly where and when he was.

Not enough to bring him up to date, but enough to know to keep his mouth shut until he knew more. It was a skill he had learned the hard way over the past years and it had helped him out in quite a few sticky situations. His memories had been coming back slowly, and naturally, when Madame Pomfrey and the Potters decided to use a potion to speed the process along.

On his second wakening he had awoken to find Mary Potter, rubbing a hand through his messy locks. She seemed relieved when he seemed to recognize her. What he didn't say was that he recognized her from her pictures in the Potters' album, not her personally.

She had hung around for the next few days keeping him company, and telling him amusing stories of when she attended Hogwarts. Only after he assured her repeatedly that he would be fine alone did she agree to go back to Potter's Manor and her normal routine. In the days that followed, he found that he missed her company as now he had nothing better to do than stare at the ceiling as his memory was rewired.

Two weeks later, he was still assimilating all the memories. It would have been nice if they had come back in chronological order, but instead they were random, the oldest mixed right in with the newest. Fortunately however, Poppy reassured him that once he remembered everything, the memories should resort themselves accordingly.

Pomfrey predicted that it would be another two weeks until he had regained his full memory, until then he was restricted to the Hospital Wing with nothing more interesting to do than homework and studying for finals. Of course he didn't need to study for finals, but to keep up appearances he had to appear busy every time Poppy bustled out of her office to check on him. As soon as she disappeared back in her office, he would give the first year's text a dirty look and discretely play with his wandless magic. His wandless magic had grown in leaps and bounds over the past year and he now felt confident that he could wandlessly cast spells up to fourth year level.

During breaks and after dinner his friends or the Marauders would visit to keep up his spirits. Even Lily and Severus came a few times, the other boy hanging back behind the ever chipper red head putting in a word here or there.

Harry even had Remus as an overnight 'visitor' twice since he had been there. The other boy looked absolutely dreadful the morning after the full moon, but Harry simply nodded when Remus said that he had suddenly fell ill. Harry felt bad for the older boy and decided that with his appearance of a potions prodigy he would team up with Severus and Lily to produce the Wolfbane Potion years before scheduled.

As soon as he had seen Regulus and Arcturus privately the two had told him what had happened before he fell.

Arct had still been checking Regulus over when he had glanced up and saw a blue spell hit Harry in the back, toppling him forward over the wall. The two seemed extremely bothered, and were only put at ease when Harry assured them that there was nothing they could have done. However, Arct would still occasionally send guilty glances Harry's way when he thought the other boys weren't looking.

Malfoy's apparent anger at Harry's injuries, left many in the Slytherin House uneasy and on edge, fearful that the seventh year would take out his frustrations on his housemates, as he already had. The older Lestrange boy fell victim to the Headboy's angry wand a few days after Harry's 'accident' and none new why except for the two boys themselves. While Malfoy was still angry, he seemed to calm down somewhat after his attack on the third year.

No one had seen who had thrown the spell, but the teachers and the headmaster were still investigating the matter. Regulus and Arcturus were convinced that it was Malfoy, but Harry believed otherwise. Why would Malfoy go out of his way to protect him, only to attempt to murder him later? It made no sense, yet Arcturus was steadfast in his conviction though he wouldn't say why.

James also believed that it was Malfoy, though Harry never discussed it with him.

The only uplifting note was when Harry convinced Madam Pomfrey to allow him to attend the last quidditch match of the year. Grudgingly she agreed, giving him strict orders not to overexert himself and to stay away from ledges. Who knew that the healer had a sense of humor?

Harry thoroughly enjoyed the game, cheering on James and the Gryffindors while his friends and he sat in the Hufflepuff section. Harry had donned a Gryffindor pin and held a sign that he made for James which proudly proclaimed, "Potter is a God." The sign garnered many laughs and eye rolls from the students, and yells of surprise when the sign occasionally let out a loud roar. The red and gold immediately caught James attention and he smiled proudly, casually bringing a hand through his locks as he did so. Harry smiled widely, guessing that James would interpret it correctly as his good luck wish.

Abigail cheerfully sat beside him chatting away the whole match, which finally ended when the Ravenclaw seeker caught the snitch. The lead that the James and his fellow chasers had wracked up quickly disappeared as the snitch was caught. Even with their hundred point lead they lost the match and the cup by a meager thirty points.

The Ravenclaws were elated as they were awarded the Quidditch Cup and the Gryffindors were downtrodden. James looked as if he had swallowed a lemon, and quickly disappeared into the locker rooms as the ceremony took place.

Harry, however, wasn't disappointed in the least. He enjoyed watching James fly about, glad that he was able to see what people used to tell him about his father. James really was a natural on a broom, and with a few more years of experience he could easily see James skilled enough to pursue a professional quidditch career.

As the students headed back to the castle after the match Harry dragged his feet as he was lead by his friends back to his prison. On his way there, they ran into Remus. Harry gave the sign to the brown haired boy and asked him to give it to James for him, as well as his congratulations for a game well played. Once Lupin had started back to the Gryffindor tower, Harry turned with a sigh and started back to his prison before his jailor came looking for him.

When his final two weeks of confinement had passed Harry happily left the Hospital Wing to take his exams. Regulus and Arcturus both thought that he was a bit touched in the head when he happily made his way to the tests.

He was rather happy with the ease of the exams; he even felt that he passed history this time around.

When the following week rolled around Harry was happy to find that he had came in top of his class in everything except history. Regulus, Arcturus and Abigail had done fairly well as well. Lily was top of the class in Charms and Herbology, second in potions after Snape, while James claimed top spot in Transfiguration and second in Defense, again after Snape. Amusingly, Sirius claimed top spot in Divinations, how that happened Harry wasn't sure, but his godfather had always been good at spinning a tale.

On the morning of the last day the three friends lazed about on the lawn near the lake, happy and content.

Regulus and Arct because the exams and their first year were over, Harry because the yearly spring brush with death had passed.

The two purebloods talked about what they were going to do with their summer, while Harry dozed contently. A dark look came over his face and he rolled over on his side, beginning to sweat.

&

The morning light filtered through the window in the dark room, casting shadows on the chair and its inhabitant in the middle of the room.

Harry regarded the man in apparent boredom, "Is it ready?"

The hooded figure rose as they answered, "It is my lord. He will be here today by dinner."

He smiled, pleased that his latest plan was coming to fruitfulness. Given that it had not been his original intent when he placed his follower there, but it would seem that fate was on his side.

"See that he is, and Dodgerson, make sure that he is not injured. He is important to me and my cause. I will not have him unduly harmed." Harry hissed.

The bowed head nodded once, "It will be done."

&

With a gasp Harry jerked out of the vision.

"All right there Potter?"

Harry looked over at his two friends who were staring at him in concern.

"Fine, just a weird dream."

Regulus looked unconvinced but Arct nodded his head in acceptance.

As his two friends went back to their conversation Harry turned his thoughts inward. Who is this Dodgerson? And who were they planning for? Obviously whoever it was, was not a willing participant of the meeting, or else Voldemort would not have told the Death Eater to insure 'his' safety. This person was important to Riddle's cause?

"Ready for the feast?" Harry was pulled out of his thoughts at the question. Both Regulus and Arcturus were looking at him oddly again, but Harry waved it off.

"We still have twenty minutes. I need to check over my trunk, so I'll meet you there, yeah?" Harry stood and brushed his pants off.

Arcturus stood as well, "Do you want us to come?"

Smiling slightly Harry waved off his offer before turning and heading back to his dorm room.

When he reached the room he quickly and silently locked the door before heading over to his trunk.

On his third awakening in the hospital, after he had regained some of his memories back, he had noticed something that wasn't there before the match. A high-level tracking charm had been placed on him without his knowledge. Given that the charm would not harm nor impede him while he was at Hogwarts, it only gave his general location, he had left it alone. However, now that he was heading home for the summer he could not guarantee that he would be spending his full time doing 'Potter approved' activities and such a tracking device would prove burdensome. So it simply had to go.

Rummaging through the trunk he pulled out some of the pieces of jewelry he had received for his birthday and Christmas. He would need something to transfer the charm to, something that would not be easily forgotten or misplaced. Merlin only knows what would happen if he showed up at Hogwarts next year and his tracker said he was elsewhere. He finally settled on a nice piece that Regulus had sent him for Christmas. The small snake pendent was truly Slytherin worthy, it even had emeralds for its eyes.

**"**_Vestigium__recanto." _Harry hissed in parsaltongue. He had found that when he spoke the spells in parsaltongue the spells were more likely to do what he wanted, even when they shouldn't be able to. The tracker was extremely strong and well done, but with the modified spell and his determination he was able to transfer the tracker to the small snake pendent.

He let his fingers run over the silver snake, feeling the magic run beneath his fingers gave him a sense of satisfaction, knowing that he could now move about undetected. With one final stroke he gingerly placed the pendent on his chest before replacing his jewelry.

With a relieved sigh he closed his trunk, spelling it shut with only the most basics of charms. Anything that was not to be seen by prying eyes was hid in a concealed compartment on the bottom side of the trunk, protected with a simple blood ward and password in parsaltongue. The only person that could possibly open that trunk was Voldemort himself, and that was only _if_ he had Harry's blood.

&

Harry sat between the two boys, as the students around them chatted excitedly. Happy voices could be heard floating across the Great Hall and laughter occasionally cut through the din.

The Great Hall was decorated in Ravenclaw's colors and their banners flooded the walls. Harry could hear Verena loudly complaining a few spots down at how Slytherin had been swindled out of the house cup once again. The comment made him roll his eyes in exasperation. He still hadn't figured out how the girl was sorted into Slytherin, she whined more than Millicent did in his future.

He tuned her out as he piled his plate high with food. He wanted to eat as much of Hogwarts food as he could, considering he wouldn't be eating it for nearly two more months and all they'd have later was candy on the train.

He grinned widely when he heard a very snappish voice hiss, "You blubbering dunderheaded fool! Cease your incessant whining!"

He didn't even have to look down the table at Snape to know that the boy would have a snarl on his lips while glaring at the now gaping girl.

"While I never-!" Came the offended gasp.

"Of course you never! Now shut your trap."

Harry bit his lips to keep from laughing at the indignant huff. Both Regulus and Arcturus were grinning slightly while they continued to talk, pretending they had not heard Snape's comments.

As the meal wound down, the atmosphere dimmed slightly, especially among the upper years. Harry glanced up at the head table where Albus was gazing out across the hall. The headmaster's twinkling blue eyes took in the chattering students with a sad smile on his lips. Even Harry knew that the end of another year was bittersweet for them all, especially Albus. The old man felt personally responsible for each and every one of his students to a certain degree. With the troubling times, the old man would feel as if he was thrusting them unprepared to the cold cruel world.

Indeed, if Harry was skilled enough to break Dumbledore's mental barriers, the boy would have found that these were the thoughts that occupied the old wizard's mind.

Each and every student held a spot in his heart, and with the passage of time he couldn't help but dwell more on his failing as a teacher than his successes. Looking into the past he could clearly see where things could have been different if he'd acted differently. Alas, it was not healthy to dwell on the past overly much. Rather, it was best to take the lessons the past offered and move forward from there.

Albus slowly stood, his purple robes falling around him, the dancing stars sparkling brightly. Minerva tapped her glass calling attention, and soon silence had descended the hall and the students gazed at their headmaster, some with smiles on their faces, others with tears in their eyes.

"The end," said Dumbledore, looking around at then all, "of another year." He smiled slightly, if it was a sad smile or not no one could say.

The students stared enraptured and listened intently.

"The end! It seems to come far too soon for some and far too late for others," he paused as his eyes wandered over the students, taking in the tears and smiles, "Though there is nothing to fear of endings."

Harry looked around at the upper years as Dumbledore continued.

"We must all come to an end one day. However, it is not the ending that is memorable but rather the journey in which we met that end. So I say to all who've met their end this day…do not see this as the end, but rather the beginning." He smiled wider, his voice low and soothing, "Do not shed tears because it is over, but rejoice because it was able to happen. I hope when you look back upon this day, you do not do so with sadness, but rather fondness and love."

Albus paused, his eyes lingering on the seventh year students, "I tell you, go out into the world and begin anew. Do not fear the unknown, but rather embrace that which you do not know. Do not forget where you came from and who your family is. We may not be the most functional family, but we are family nonetheless." He spread his arms wide, "Hogwarts will always be your home, and if ever you find yourself in need, do not fear to come back to that once you claimed as your own."

&

The students excitedly rushed the 'horseless' carriages in their excitement to return home. Harry and his friends sedately made their way to an empty carriage. He spared a glance at the black skeletal winged horse that the carriage was attached too before opening the door and holding it until Regulus and Arcturus entered. With one final gaze at the castle he had called home for eight years now, he gave a small smile and entered the carriage. 'One year down, six more to go,' he thought with a wry grin.


	21. Beginnings

This is officially the end of Harry's year one. However, instead of making an entire different story for each year I will be adding the following years onto this one for convenience sake. Also, I've been asked to put up a warning for chapters that have a cliff ending...so considered yourself warned. If you don't think you can wait four or five days for the next update...don't read this chapter until I post the next one. I'd also like to thank JW for betaing this chapter. She is amazing with grammar and picking up on little errors, something I am totally terrible at...so thank you JW once again. On a brighter note...I saw The Dark Knight last night, and let me say...it was AMAZING! Much darker and more adult than the previous films by far. If you like dark humor then you'll simply love it! The Joker had my friends and me in stitches every time he came on screen; Ledger's performance was amazing. The one thing I was left pondering after the movie was how did the Joker really get his scars? Well without further wait...

**Chapter 21**

**Beginnings**

The three boys quickly found an empty compartment half -way down the train and stored their belongings overhead before sitting down to play a game of exploding snap. At his friends' insistence Harry had packed away all of his books for the journey. While not quite the bookworm Hermione had been, he had garnered a reputation with his friends with his apparent love of books. He wasn't obsessive over the things, it was simply that he had come to appreciate the knowledge they could give him. He constantly found new spells that would have made his future life so much easier, if only he had taken the time to learn them.

When he had arrived back in the past he had made a promise to himself, a promise he intended to keep. His parents and the many countless other lives that were lost in this senseless war would not perish again. He might not be able to save all of them, but he stood a much better chance now than he did before. And if burying his nose in a book for a few hours could help him save a life, then so be it.

When the trolley rolled around the boys bought a load of sweets that emptied their money pouches by a few galleons apiece. Harry ate a few chocolate frogs and Cauldron Cakes, while Regulus and Arcturus gorged themselves on their selections of sweets. It had never ceased to amaze him how much sugar children and teenagers could stomach; it was beyond mind boggling. The three joked as the pile lessened until Harry couldn't watch another Chocoball be stuffed down Arcturus' throat. Harry politely excused himself on the grounds of having to go around the train to say his goodbyes.

He gave some animated goodbyes and well wishes to some of his older classmates that he had got to know this year, and a few of the Ravenclaws he had become friendly with before heading to the Hufflepuff section.

Finally finding the compartment he was looking for, he rapped on the door before entering.

"Harry!"

The black haired boy smiled at the enthusiastic greeting.

"Abigail!" He mock-yelled back in a slightly high pitched voice.

The other kids in the compartment laughed lightheartedly as Harry walked in and closed the door before taking a seat next to the brown haired girl.

She scrunched up her nose and crossed her arms over her chest, "Must you always mock me Harry?"

He looked thoughtful for a moment before turning his serious green eyes on her, "Only on days when I like you. The days when I'm ill-tempered I'll leave the mocking to Regulus."

"How thoughtful and considerate; you do realize that I have two older brothers who would beat you up if I asked them to, right?"

"The thought hadn't escaped me for a moment, but I have a feeling they like me better than their annoying little sister. Though you may be able to convince James to do it for you, he's been rather cross with me lately."

Abigail smiled happily, "Oh?"

Harry leaned in conspiratorially, "Yes 'ooh'. He's been in a downright foul mood since the Quidditch cup. Seemed to be under the impression that he would have played better if hadn't been circling the pitch underneath my seating. For some reason he thought I was going to jump. A delayed reaction to me being sorted into Slytherin."

"Harry that's awful! You really shouldn't make jokes like that." The girl smacked his arm before sticking her bottom lip out again.

"I thought it was rather funny, in the 'oh so wrong' sort of way." Another Hufflepuff offered with an amused smile, "We all heard, if not saw, that nasty fall."

"Ah-ha I knew it!" Harry exclaimed excitedly.

The Hufflepuffs looked confusedly at the Slytherin.

"Knew what?" The same Hufflepuff boy asked with a bemused expression.

"You Hufflepuffs really are sadistic underneath that entire smiling and friendly exterior. Admit it! It's all a part of the master plan to take over the world bit by bit, really cunning if you ask me." Harry trailed off thoughtfully while Abigail rolled her eyes, much to the Hufflepuff boy's amusement.

"Harry I think it's time we said goodbye before you start a revolution with my housemates. I'd really love to see you explain that one in the history books." Abigail said as she pulled the boy to his feet and with a 'cheerful' goodbye from Harry, she had them through the door and down the hallway.

"What was the rush all about? I wasn't really trying to start a rebellion…" He trailed off questioningly.

"The boy you were talking to, Isaac Wellington, has been jokingly talking about starting a rebellion among the house the whole semester…the worrying part is I don't know if he's joking or not." Abigail shrugged her shoulders, "I thought it best to remove you before you gave him any ideas about how to go about it."

"You're kidding!" Harry breathed with a chuckle.

She glared at him with a frown, "Of course I'm not! Why else would I remove you?"

"Well considering we are heading back to my compartment, I would guess that you wished to say goodbye to Regulus and Arcturus?" He grinned devilishly at her.

"And your point?"

"My point is this, I have other people to say goodbye to so you can keep on walking. I'll meet you in my compartment in a few."

"Fine!" Abigail huffed before stomping gracefully forward.

With another grin Harry turned back around and made his way to the very back of the train where he knew the two students would be.

He peered in through the glass as he watched the red head threw back her head and laugh at something her companion said. She grinned, her green eyes sparkling madly, as she gazed at the black haired boy. The boy gazed back, his obsidian orbs glinting, and a small smirk stretched his lips.

Harry pulled himself from the scene and knocked on the door lightly, slightly hoping that they wouldn't hear him and continue on with their with their laughter, but it was for naught.

Both pair of eyes looked up, and a single black eyebrow rose in question at the intrusion.

With a slight smile Harry slide open the door and stepped into the compartment.

"Well, well, well another year gone and passed."

"Very observant Potter." Severus drawled, rolling his eyes.

"I thought so myself, besides with the glare I was getting I couldn't think up anything else on the spot." Harry agreed with a solemn nod, to which he received a glare.

"Sev be nice, I'm sure Harry here can have some very intellectually stimulating conversations when he wants." Lily mocked with a smile.

Harry frowned and grabbed his chest while his other hand flew to his forehead, "Lily you wound me," he staggered sideways into the wall before sliding down on the seat, "I can't go on…the pain."

Snape snorted in a cross between amusement and contempt, "How _did_ you manage to land in Slytherin again Potter?"

Cracking a wry smile Harry shrugged his shoulders noncommittally, "You know how it goes…tell the Sorting Hat 'anywhere but Hufflepuff' and you land in Slytherin. It makes you wonder just how many Hufflepuffs asked not to be in Slytherin, eh?"

"You-you're kidding? Aren't you Potter?" Snape asked, though his face was pinched in horror and contemplation as he studied the younger boy.

Harry attempted to look uncomfortable under the scrutiny of the other boy, "If I knew it would bother you I wouldn't have mentioned it."

"Oh Harry come off it! Leave Sev along, he might really believe you." Lily smacked his shoulder with a smile.

Harry mock glared back as he rubbed his shoulder, "Spoilsport. The one time I have him and you have to ruin it. You know that only happens once a year, correct?"

"Haha Potter, haha."

"I thought so too and when are you going to start calling me by my name? I know calling me Potter is painful for us both."

"Maybe in a few years when you've grown up." Snape rolled his eyes.

"Ouch, if I didn't know that somewhere deep down inside you cared about me, that would have hurt Severus." Harry furrowed his brows as he spoke, "Though I'll let it slide. Now…who wants their present?"

"Present?" Came the surprised responses.

"Is there an echo in here?"

At the glares he received back he quickly withdrew two small books from his pocket, enlarged them back to their full size, and held them out to Lily, "Pick a color."

Lily looked between the two and her eyes narrowed in on the pink book, a mischievous glint in her eyes, "I'll take the green one."

She started to reach forward only to stop at the exclamation, "Don't be ridiculous! The other one is pink!"

Both Lily and Harry raised their eyebrows at the same time and Snape drew a sharp breath in.

"What?" Lily immediately demanded.

"The color-"

"Yes Sev, the color is pink. We have already established that."

The pale boy scowled slightly at his oldest friend, "Not that. I just realized something, look at Harry's eyes!"

Said boy widened his eyes in surprise as Lily turned curiously to look at Harry, "What's wrong with my eyes?"

"They're Lily green." Snape said still with a hint of surprise while Lily studied the green eyes.

"Lily green? I've never heard of it-" Harry started nervously.

"Not Lily Green you dolt, Lily's green. As in Lily's eye color."

"And that is amazing, because-?" He trailed off uneasily.

"Well, it's not…not really." Lily said dismissively., Harry breathed out a sigh of relief before she continued, "Though it is rather unusual. I've never run across another person with my color before."

She snorted in amusement, "Maybe we are related somehow Harry, down the line."

Severus twisted his lips in distaste, "Lily, do not joke like that, that would mean you are related to Potter."

At the proclamation all three flinched, but Harry for a totally different reason than the other two, before he coughed, "I can almost assure you that you are in no way or shape related to James."

"You find us relieved."

"Yes, I'm sure. Well here's your book!" Harry handed the book to Snape who took it with slight distaste before turning slightly pleading eyes on Lily.

"Oh all right!" She finally huffed before switching books.

Snape smirked slightly as he took the green book and opened it, "A dairy, Potter?"

Harry smirked back before taking a fountain pen out of his pocket and handing it to him, "Try writing in it, but first address it as a letter to Lily."

Sitting down, Snape flipped the book open and popped the cap off the top of the pen, before starting to write while Lily looked on in interest.

She gave a slight start as her book began shaking and she quickly flipped the book open and watched in fascination as Snape's spidery handwriting began to fill the page.

"Wow…Harry? Where did you get this?"

Smirking Harry handed her a pen, "Try writing back. No need to address it, just write underneath the writing."

Lily excitedly took the pen and wrote a few lines in her perfect cursive script.

He looked on in amusement as the two wrote a few more lines back and forth, proud that he had been able to create the books. He had actually gotten taken the idea from the muggle messenger he had seen Dudley used in the summer when he was home for the summer, mixed combined with Riddle's diary. He figured that it would not seem odd or out of place for someone to write in a book, as Lily and Snape both already did that. The margins of their textbooks were filled with notes expanding on the subject.

"Oh they're absolutely brilliant!" Lily gushed with a wide smile, "Where'd you get them?"

"James picked up the books for me on the last Hogsmeade visit. I had planned on being finished with them some time ago, but I was restricted to the Hospital Wing and unable to finish them before now."

"Finish them?"

Eyes twinkling Harry pulled another book out of his pocket and enlarged it, "Charmed them myself," he smiled at her surprised gasp before continuing, "This book helped in the theory, if you figure out the basics by the end of the summer I'll show you how to do the charms come fall."

"But you're a first year!" She exclaimed.

"Didn't we have this conversation at the beginning of the year?" Harry asked bemusedly.

"But, but-"

He gave a sheepish grin at the pair, "You know I don't like a lot of attention, I just have a talent in Charms. It's no big deal really. You'd be just as good, if not better at Charms at my age if you had been raised by wizards. I started learning at a young age. Me and Charms are like Snape and curses."

Lily and Snape cracked smiles at that and both seemed content to let it go.

"If you need me this summer just write my name and I'll get back."

Severus nodded curtly as Lily leaned in and gave Harry a quick peck on the cheek, "Have a good summer and do not forget to write. See if your aunt and uncle will let you visit for part of the summer with us, and do us a favor and kill that cousin of yours."

"I'll try my best, but my aunt and uncle seem rather fond of him. Have a good summer!"

With a grin he made his way from the compartment, the grin almost immediately dropping as he did so and a slightly sad frown took its place. Raising his hand to his cheek a fleeting look crossed his features. The first kiss he ever remembered from his mother.

&

The rest of the ride passed fairly quickly, Abigail was already gone when he returned to the compartment and Arcturus and Regulus were busy with a game of Exploding Snap. Shrugging the girl's quick disappearance off, he decided to simply owl her the book later. Harry sat back, trying to distract the other two as they concentrated on the heating cards. When the game was finally won, Regulus sent him a dirty look and claimed loudly that it was Harry's fault he lost the game.

This was met by disagreement from Harry and Arcturus.

Once they settled down he asked, "You know Reg, you never did tell us what you were doing all summer."

The long haired boy sighed before swiping his hair away from his face with an annoyed huff, "The same thing I've done every summer since I was seven, visiting the Black branch in Russia."

"Why?" Arcturus asked, interested.

Regulus rolled his eyes in exasperation, "Mother believes that they can educate my wayward brother and me on the proper wizard etiquette that escapes so many English Wizards. Her mother was from the Russian line and therefore mother believes that Russian purebloods have the right idea. Father isn't nearly as fanatic." He trailed of at the end thinking he may have said too much.

Arcturus looked awkward, but didn't seem to either disagree or agree. Finally Harry cracked a grin, "I can't imagine Sirius taking to his education too well."

Regulus let out another groan and dropped his head into his hands, "He's horrible I tell you. It wouldn't be nearly as bad if he just bit his cheek and ignored it…but no, my dear brother has to show his hard head and go against them all. He'll never learn the art of subtle resistance. His pigheadedness just makes them all the more nasty, which makes mother all the more nasty, which makes father all the more grouchy, which means makes me a very unhappy target."

Both Harry and Arcturus stared.

"Well Regulus," Arcturus began, "the Blacks and the Yaxleys have always gotten along fairly well, right?"

"Of course."

"Since you have started Hogwarts, it would expected of you to forge new alliances and uphold old ones, correct?" Arct continued.

"Yes?"

"How are you expected to up hold those new alliances when you are in Russia? I'm sure I can convince my parents to hold several parties for our age groups to inhabit the social scene. Purebloods would be there, not only from Hogwarts, but Durmstrang, Beauxbaton, and Salem as well."

Regulus smiled widely, "It seems like a profitable venue."

"Also, I do remember something about your cousins kicking Sirius back to the UK because he set their dinning room on fire?" Harry grinned with a smile.

"_Oh_ how they hate Sirius., I'd wager they would be happy if neither of us came." The black hair boy grinned with a large smile, "Even I have to admit, Uncle Karkon's face, when my brother set his beard on fire was priceless."

All three boys laughed as the train slowed down and slowly came to a halt.

They looked out the window to at the crowd of parents and siblings outside, "So…" Harry's eyes focused on a small girl giggling as she tugged on her father's robe. A small smile tugged at his lips.

"So." Arcturus agreed seriously.

Regulus smiled at them, "So."

"I made it through alive." Harry stated.

Regulus and Arcturus snorted.

"There's always next year Harry." Arct finally said, using Harry's first name, something the boy rarely did.

"Is this the part where we do something sappy?" Regulus asked amused.

"'fraid not, Black. I don't do sappy."

Harry snorted, "Of course not Yaxley, you have an image to uphold."

"Damn straight." The brown haired boy agreed, "So you two keep those books handy, right?"

At their nods of agreement he gave them one last nod before grabbing his trunk and leaving.

The two continued to stare at the door for a moment after he had gone.

"And just like that he walked away, out of my life for the next two months." Harry muttered with a distant look on his face.

Regulus tore his eyes from the door and shot him an incredulous look before bursting out laughing.

"I cannot believe you just said that." He gasped out.

"What? You were the one who wanted sappy." Harry shrugged with a grin.

Regulus grinned, "Well not quite that sappy…"

Their conversation paused as the compartment door slide open and James poked his head in.

"I've found Mum and Dad. Need help with your trunk?" James asked grinning widely.

Harry shook his head before turning back to Regulus.

"Just write if you need anything, yeah?"

Regulus gave a small smile before standing, "Yeah. Take care of yourself Harry" his eyes flicked to where James was still loitering in the doorway, "and keep your cousin out of trouble."

"Impossible on both accounts, but I'll try."

On impulse Harry pulled the other boy in a hug, before whispering in his ear, "You are not alone. Talk to Sirius, you're more alike than either of you realize."

Regulus tightened his grip for a second in acknowledgment, before pushing his friend back. Glancing to the doorway where the older Potter stood, he narrowed his eyes before breaking out in a smirk.

"If you refuse to take care of yourself Harry, James will have to do it for you."

James nodded in agreement while the younger boy rolled his eyes.

"I'm not a child to be mollycoddled. Whether both of you refuse to see it or not, I can take care of myself."

"If you claim." Regulus said with a smirk before picking up his trunk. "Potter, do you know where my brother is?"

James nodded, moving from the doorway while answering, "Four compartments down on the right. He's saying goodbye to Remus and Peter."

Regulus nodded his head in acknowledgment before swiftly walking out of the compartment.

Silence reigned while Harry opened his trunk and packed away the deck of cards and the last of his Chocolate Frogs, while shoving the Cauldron Cakes in his pocket for after dinner. He glanced down and smiled. Taking the snake pendent he happily tossed it in the trunk before snapping the lid close.

"You're sure you don't need a hand?" Something in James' voice caused Harry to glance up.

The older boy was staring at him intently and with an emotion Harry couldn't decipher.

Finally the smallest Potter asked, "Do I still look that bad?"

Harry kept his face blank as James pursued his features; the eyes pausing on some of the faint scratches, before lingering on the large visible bruise on his left temple.

"Yes." James said, his eyes snapping down to Harry's gaze, "It looks painful still."

"It's not. Honestly, I'm fine. Madame Pomfrey is a fabulous healer and it was really nothing more than a scratch."

The hazel eyed boy glared in disbelief. "A scratch that knocked you out and caused memory loss? I also seem to remember quite the an amount of blood on the pitch, not to mention all those broken bones."

Harry gave his most winning smile, "Odder things have occurred. Will you lay off if I let you carry my trunk?"

"Until we get home."

Both boys agreed in amusement.

&

"James, Harry!"

Both boys paused and looked down the crowded walkway. Remus pushed his way through the crowd and to their sides.

"Thought you could get away without saying goodbye Harry?" Remus asked with a teasing grin.

The younger boy rolled his eyes good-naturedly "Goodbye? What goodbye? You and Black practically lived at Potter Manor last Summer. I suspect that I will only have a few days of peace before I am ducking buckets once again."

The older boys laughed.

"Actually you won't see me until mid-summer at the earliest. My mother and I are visiting my aunt for the next three weeks. So this really is goodbye until then."

Harry held out his hand and Remus took it with a smile, "Well take care of yourself, Remus. Maybe you'll actually get some rest without these hoodlums to look after."

"I'll have you know that I am not a hoodlum. That is so blasé, "James waved his hand in the air," We are much more troublesome than hoodlums could ever wish to be. We are like...men of the road, pirates, or marauders."

Remus and Harry grinned grinned, bemused.

"Really? Pirates, James?" The brown haired boy teased.

James shrugged back before defending, "There's nothing wrong with pirates. There was even a pirate from the Black line."

"James, Blackbeard was not from the Black family." Harry snorted.

The older boy looked downtrodden at that before shrugging.

"Fine we're marauders then. _The_ Marauders."

Harry and Remus laughed at the bright tone in which James proclaimed his friends 'marauders'.

&

Exiting the train the two boys made their way , through the lessening throng over to the Potters, through the lessening throng. Mary and Harold who were talking with a couple Harry didn't know, faced slightly away from them. The couple was obviously muggle, as their clothing was too well coordinated and up-to-date than anything a witch or wizard would wear.

As they approached James called out, "Oi! You there! _Old man_!"

Harold looked up at his son's voice, a small frown sporting on his lips.

"Old?"

The unknown couple smiled, and the man hid his laugh with a slight cough.

"It got your attention didn't it?" James asked still a good ten yards away from the older man.

Harold was about to reply when his eyes narrowed in confusion and apprehension crossed his features.

Unease suddenly gripped Harry and he began to spin around, surprised that he hadn't sensed the approaching man, but it was already too late.

The cloaked figure, which had only been a few feet away, lunged and gripped the first-year's shoulder. Before he could react he felt the well-known pull from his naval.

As the scene blurred and he was whisked away, he heard a surprised and terrified yell from his grandmother.

&

The wind whipped through his hair and the scenery flew past the pair at an alarming speed. His thoughts whirled about frantically, as he struggled, trying to wrench himself from the man's grasp. With an irate snarl the man raised a hand and knocked him in on his bruised temple before pulling him closer to his body. Slightly dazed, Harry slumped forward and allowed himself to be held tightly, his thoughts going becoming sluggish.

When they began to slow Harry lifted his head and made another attempt to struggle free but the man held on. The floor rushed up to meet the pair and Harry would have fallen flat on his face if it wasn't for the fact that the unknown man still gripped him tightly by the arms. Even then, he stumbled slightly, leaning forwards, and with a grunt the man pulled him up straight, though he did not let go.

The room they had landed in was large and lavishly decorated. It was a room Harry knew well, both from his future and his visions in the past. His eyes drifted to the middle of the room to the expensive throne like chair sitting on the raised platform. The man that sat on it was the most feared and hated in the entire Wizardering World. His red eyes stared back.

"Ah, Harry Potter, I've been expecting you."


	22. Twisting Lies

**Book Two: Hogwarts Year 1974-1975**

**Title: Eyes from Beyond; Seeing the Unseen  
**

Summary: Year two of the Ripples in Time series. The past is not as clean cut as Harry once believed. Could his 'past' come back to haunt him, or is it his greatest asset in this time? Will he abandon all of his previously laid plans as his life becomes even more twisted and the past even more clouded?

**Chapter 22**

**Twisting Lies**

"Harry?"

"Harry!" Mary screamed eyes wide and staring at the spot where the two had vanished.

"Ha-Harold. He's gone!"

"Dad! Where's Harry?" James was shocked and confused at what just happened. That Harry had been kidnapped had not sunk in yet to the now fourteen-year-old.

People were looking at the Potters in confusion, few had seen the kidnapping, but the ones who had were whispering and telling the others. The muggle couple seemed frozen in shock and uncertainty.

Harold turned his troubled eyes on his wife, "Mary, take James and head back to the manor."

He was about to say more but paused, his eyes conveyed the silent message. Mary nodded before grabbing James arm, taking the shrunken trunks and rushing to the floo.

Harold stood there for a minute before an on-duty auror rushed up to him.

&

After the melodramatic opener they continued to stare at each other, one in intense curiosity and the other in disdain.

"Voldemort." Harry deadpanned, inclining his head in acknowledgment.

The dark wizard raised an eyebrow at the boy, intrigued at the lack of fear in his voice, "Release him."

The cloaked man released Harry and stepped back before bowing.

"Leave."

"As you wish my lord." The unknown man bowed again before quickly turning on his heel and leaving.

Harry narrowed his eyes at the retreating figure, continuing to glare at the door even after the man left.

Amused, the Dark Lord asked, "Something bothering you boy?"

"I would never have guessed that Balaz was a Death Eater."

Voldemort continued to stare at the first year, his red eyes drinking in the sight.

"Though I suppose that is not his real name or identity, you are hardly the type to recruit muggleborns. So who is he really? I suppose Armando Balaz must have existed for your ploy to get past Dumbledore. I'll wager a guess the Death Eater killed the real Balaz and impersonated him with polyjuice?"

It was honestly rather sad that the best Defense teachers he'd had were two Death Eaters, one former Death Eater, and a werewolf, not that Remus could help that part, but still. He should have suspected Balaz when he turned out to be a competent teacher.

He wondered idly if Dumbledore had found out the first time around that the Balaz impersonator had been a Death Eater. He would wager not, as Crouch Jr. had used the same ploy to gain entrance into the school.

Riddle gave him another searching but pleased look, almost as if he were a prized pupil who had answered a very difficult question. "Very observant, boy. I will have a _talk _with him later about subtlety, although it really will not matter."

Harry snapped his gaze back to the seated man and his eyes connected with Riddle's. He was actually surprised to find a good deal more sanity in the wizard's gaze than the man's future counterpart held. Curiously, as he held the gaze, he felt no pain or even the mental probe he had been expecting. This more than anything made an unsettled expression cross his face.

"Oh?" He said in a bland voice. However, his eyes were alight with suppressed flames.

Voldemort leaned forward, smile lighting up his face, "You will not be leaving here Harry Potter."

Harry decided to ignore the warnings screaming in his head about sticking to the plan. He had already caught Tom's attention, therefore the plans needed to be altered. The only thing that mattered was the safety of the Potters and the downfall of Riddle.

He let a dangerous grin play across his lips, "And do you really think you could stop me?"

Tom quickly stood, his knuckled whitened as he gripped his wand.

"Who are you boy that you believe yourself greater than Lord Voldemort?" He hissed out.

Harry's eyes flashed in defiance and hate. "To sound overly cliché Riddle, I'm your worst nightmare." He bared his teeth before continuing, "Furthermore, I don't believe I'm greater than you, Tom. I know."

Anger and loathing crossed across the older wizard's face before it settled on a smug grin.

"You're rather arrogant aren't you little Potter?"

"It's not arrogance if it's true Tom." Harry spat the name, as if it were filthy.

Detestation at the name crossed Voldemort's countenance before he lifted his wand, a curse on his lips, before he stopped with a thoughtful look on his face. He lowered his wand before letting out a chilling laugh.

Once again, the lack of pain from his scar, caught Harry's attention. There was no pain, rather just a simple tingling, that was not unpleasant but rather annoying. He resisted the urge to raise his hand and scratch the scar, which was currently hidden by his fringe.

"You? A pathetic child beat Lord Voldemort?" Disbelief and amusement was clear in the tone, something that highly grated on Harry's nerves. "I could easily kill you where you stand."

"And that is supposed to scare me?"

Voldemort shot Harry a malicious look, "Your worth has yet to have been proven. Soon we shall know your value. Soon I will know everything about you one way or the other. You know too much, and are much too bold."

Harry continued to stare nonchalantly at Riddle, clearly unimpressed with his words.

Riddle continued to glare at the boy, his eyes fixated on Harry's left hand. Finally the Dark Lord sat back down, never taking his eyes off the boy. "Who told you that name?" he asked quietly.

The time traveler considered how he should approach this. Finally settling on half-truths and ground out, "Dumbledore."

"Ah, the _esteemed_ headmaster." Voldemort said as he glared at the boy, "And why did he feel the need to impart that knowledge to you?"

Harry allowed himself to fidget slightly before lifting his head to glare at the man, "He seems to think that there's something more to your interest in me than the usual interest you pay your victims."

"Does he? Whatever gave the old fool that idea?" Riddle seemed annoyed.

The boy shrugged impatiently, "Perhaps you should be asking him instead of me? It's not as if he'll tell me anything important."

Voldemort picked up the irritation and impatience in the boy's voice and smiled to himself, "Soon I will reveal my interest in you. Unlike _Dumbledore _I have no intentions of deceiving you."

Harry stared at Riddle, his disbelief and contempt completely hidden.

The Dark Lord stared at the boy a moment longer before speaking again, "Dumbledore fears and distrusts you Harry. You are already powerful and a mystery. The two things the meddling old coot hates the most. We are not that unlike, you and me, Harry. Even as a first year Dumbledore feared and tried to control me. Keeping me in the dark about my heritage…the same thing he is doing to you."

Riddle smirked as fear and uncertainty crossed the slightly tanned young face.

"I may not like everything the headmaster does, but he has never wronged me. He's been protecting me from you! He's one of the most renowned wizards in the world!"

Annoyance and something akin to pity crossed the older wizard's face, something Harry would have thought genuine if he hadn't known that Voldemort had no conscience. "Protect you? Protecting you from what? The truth that is rightfully yours? Knowledge is power Harry. He seeks to keep you weak and easily controlled."

Harry stared into the red tinted eyes.

"Why would you need protection from me Harry?" He let out a chilling laugh, "I've never attacked you, nor have my followers. So it brings up the question, who did? I've not lied to you, Harry, but Albus Dumbledore has. Do you really think that it was out of the kindness of his own heart that he let you attend Hogwarts or live with the Potters?"

The Dark Lord smirked viciously before continuing, "No Potter, you attend Hogwarts so that he can keep a close eye on you. You live with the Potters because they are some of Dumbledore's most loyal followers."

"No! You're wrong! If you're not a danger to me then why did you order one of your Death Eaters to kidnap me?" Harry demanded sharply, easily slipping into the role of the distraught and uncertain child.

"Use your brain boy!" Voldemort hissed out with his eyes narrowed, vicious glee dancing within them, "To tell you the truth and give you a choice. You could be great Harry, greater than that fool Dumbledore."

"How do you know?"

Riddle just gave him a light smile that would have sent chills down any other person's spine but Harry had seen it a million times before.

"First you claim yourself greater than the most feared wizard of all time, and now you claim ignorance of that power?" The Dark Lord snorted in annoyance before continuing, "Now is not the time, little Slytherin, but soon we shall know. _JUDGESON_!"

Quick steps could be heard and as the doors opened and another hooded figure walked in Riddle shot one last look at the small boy, "And it would be wise for you to never utter that filthy name again."

&

Arriving at the Potter Manor, Mary quickly shushed James before throwing another pinch of floo powder in the fireplace and pulled her son forward, "Floo to Hogwarts James, I'll be right behind you."

"Mum what is-"

"Not now James!"

With a slightly scared and mutinous look the boy stepped into the fireplace, "Hogwarts, Headmaster's office."

Mary quickly followed her son, arriving just as he greeted Albus.

His concerned blue eyes peered over his spectacles at the pair.

"James, go to your common room. The password is the same, isn't it Albus?"

The headmaster nodded his head in confirmation as the boy protested loudly, "Mum! What is going on? Where is Harry? Who was that man?"

The woman looked into the fearful eyes of her son, "Please, I'll explain later. Just go to the common room."

Betrayal and anger flashed across the boy's face as if his mother had physically smacked him, "He's my cousin! I have a right to know!" The mutiny and fear was clear in his voice.

"I want to know what happened to Harry!"

"Please James, do as your mother asks." Dumbledore said in a firm voice, his face grave.

James turned to the old wizard, looking as if he'd yell at the headmaster as well, before he physically bit his tongue. Jaw clenched in anger, he turned and stormed out of the room, but not quickly enough for Mary to miss the angry tears beginning to course down the boy's face.

Once the door had banged shut Mary lifted her eyes and stared at her old friend.

"Someone port-keyed Harry away. He's gone."

&

Harry looked around his room in slight surprise. When Voldemort told Judgeson to escort him to his room, Harry had fully expected his previous lodgings in the dungeons, but instead he was lead to a medium sized and well decorated room. Things were not adding up. Whatever Dumbledore and Voldemort thought they knew about him they were obviously wrong, but it could work to his advantage in the long run.

The Death Eater hadn't even removed his wand or personal belongings. It's almost as if Voldemort didn't consider him a threat, or he thought Harry would sit still and wait patiently like a good little boy.

Harry snorted at the thought.

Oh he'd sit and wait alright. His curiosity streak had yet to be beaten out of him, and it would be difficult to escape Voldemort's stronghold without showing just how powerful he really was. So he'd have to sit and wait until another plan became available. And another troubling thought;, why in the world was Voldemort being so…_nice_? Well nice was pushing it, but Harry had never had a conversation in which at least a Crucio wasn't thrown his way. So far Riddle had been deceptive, conniving, and convincing in his arguments. Well, he would have been convincing if Harry had truly been a scared eleven-year-old boy.

Voldemort had used Harry's supposed uncertainty to attack both the Headmaster and the Potters. An eleven-year-old in Harry's position would have been plagued with self-doubt about both Dumbledore and his family. In short, he would be much more vulnerable to whatever bull Riddle would try to convince him of and less likely to attempt to escape back to Albus.

Harry waved his wand and checked for any spell on the room, and was surprised when only the locked door registered. With a slight groan he laid down on the bed, his stomach grumbled slightly in hunger.

He glared down at his midriff.

"Don't you even start. There's no way in hell we're eating anything they attempt to feed us." Even with this _nicer_ version of the Dark Lord.

Reaching in his pocket he pulled out a Cauldron Cake and his hand brushed the forgotten journal that was meant for Abigail. As he slowly began to eat he considered his options, for now he'd wait, but if all else failed he would use the book.

&

Standing, Albus moved to the table on which held many of his mysterious instruments. He picked up a small silver figurine of a lion and tapped it. It glowed golden before flashing through an array of colors.

Throughout this Mary simply watched from where she stood, trusting her friend.

Relief but then suspicion and slight fear flooded the headmaster's face as the flashing lights stopped and the lion turned back to its' original silver. With another tap of his wand, the figurine glowed an eerie green.

Turning back to the woman he asked, "Do you have Harry's trunk Mary?"

Nodding her head, she pulled out the shrunken trunk and handed it to him.

Albus sat it on his desk and tapped it with his wand, enlarging it. Battling aside the standard spells he opened the trunk, quickly making his way through the well organized contents.

When his hand touched a small snake pendant the lion let out a loud whistle before flashing brightly and returning back to silver.

Dumbledore removed the pendant with a small frown on his face as he studied it. The snake was curled in an S, its' fangs were bared as if it was about to strike, and its head was slightly raised and its green eyes seemed to glare.

Albus placed the pendant on his desk before closing and reshrinking the trunk. He handed it back to Mary before going over to a black cabinet behind his desk and removing his pensieve.

"Albus why is the pendant important?"

"After Harry's accident at the quidditch pitch I put a high level tracking charm on him and bound it to the lion. It should tell me where he is at any time and his current health."

"And?"

"Someone has removed the tracking charm and transferred it to this pendant, skillfully done, I should add. The wards should have alerted me if the charm had been altered or messed with in any way."

Mary gasped, "Who could have done that Albus?"

"We'll have to ask Harry when he returns. Now would you please," Dumbledore pointed to the pensieve on the desk.

Mary moved forward, wand tip to her head as she drew out the memory. When she pulled the wand away a small wispy fluff seemed to cling to the wand tip. She placed the memory into the bowl and stepped back as the memories began to swirl.

She leaned back as Albus entered the memory. She did not wish to see the abduction once again, even in a memory.

When the Headmaster re-emerged his face was void of all emotion other than contemplation.

"What now?"

Albus locked eyes with her.

"Now go and comfort James. I'll discuss this with Alastor and use some contacts to find Harry. Do not lose hope."

&

The two were sitting at the small table in Harry's room, having just finished the evening meal, and wasn't that an experience. Who would have ever thought that the Boy-Who-Lived and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named would have shared a civil meal together at the same table? Harry hadn't touched his food until an approving Riddle had performed a spell on it, proving to the boy that it hadn't been poisoned. Harry had almost asked for a bezoar just in case but decided to be somewhat civil. After the meal had been cleared away, Riddle had turned and regarded him for several minutes.

"Hold out your left hand." Voldemort sharply demanded.

Harry slowly brought his hand up, prepared to protect himself if needed.

Immediately Riddle grabbed his hand and pulled him forward slightly so that he could examine the ring closely. Harry stood still at the contact, gritting his teeth in distaste and ready for the onslaught of typical pain at the Dark Lord's contact. However, he was shocked when the pain never came. The older man grabbed Harry's silver ring and studied it, turning it in between his fingers.

"You can touch it?" Harry stuttered out, for once truly shocked at the Dark Lord, so far only he had been able to handle the ring without getting shocked.

Voldemort glanced up before releasing the hand, "Yes. Can you use it?"

Mutely, Harry nodded his head.

"And do you know who that ring belonged to?"

Remembering the story Ollivander had told, Harry answered hesitantly, "My grandfather."

For some reason his answer pleased Riddle and he nodded.

"Yes, your grandfather. You must have noticed that the ring is unique. It's a family heirloom, only those with blood directly from the Gaunt line can use it."

Harry highly doubted that. He didn't have a drop of blood flowing in his veins from the Gaunt line. The only reason the ring worked for him was because of his connection with Riddle and the abilities that link passed on to him. He mentally cringed. Cassandra Potter was truly involved with Tom _Freaking _Riddle? No wonder she up and disappeared. Obviously they were doing more than holding hands if Riddle thought that Harry was somehow a product of those late nights. Harry felt ill as he thought that a Potter had had sex with Riddle. No wonder Voldemort always had it in for him. His girl had upped and fled when she figured out what sort he really was.

"The Gaunts? I've never heard of them. Do I have any relatives on that side?"

"The Noble House of Gaunts were the last descendants of Salazar Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four. _Sadly _only one other member remains of that house."

"Slytherin?" Harry stuttered out with just the right amount of awe and surprise suspected of a Slytherin student.

"Surely you suspected that you were a descendant of Salazar, who else would you get your parselmouth abilities from?"

Once again surprised Harry asked, "How did you know that I was a parselmouth?"

"The Gaunts were notorious throughout the entire world for that ability. It's a family trait strictly found in that family. You would also have to be a parselmouth for that ring to work for you."

"How do you know all of this?" The boy asked curiously, already knowing where this was headed.

"Because Harry, we are the last of the Gaunts. I am your grandfather."

&

"Any word Alastor?" Dumbledore ran his hands through his long hair, as he leaned back in his chair, staring at the younger man.

The slightly scarred face fell somewhat and a grim expression took over, "None of the normal contacts know a thing. Not even any whisperings of the boy. I suppose the Dark Lord kept most of his followers in the dark."

Albus nodded thoughtfully.

"Albus-you've seen the memory, the abductor got off the train; which means that either the person was an older student, or was one of the train workers."

"Or a professor."

"Albus?"

"Just a thought Alastor. Someone removed the tracking spell from the boy before he left the school, a spell that is not well known, and even harder to spot. The only ones skilled enough to do that would be the teachers."

"Then why tie the tracker to something in Potter's trunk then?"

"To make it seem as if the boy was safe. I tracked him this morning to make sure he got on the train safely. If the spell hadn't shown Harry boarding and leaving, then I would have immediately suspected something was amiss."

"Which professors rode the train back?"

"Only one, Alastor. Armando Balaz."

"I'll look into him. See if I can find him, if not I'll go digging."

Dumbledore nodded his consent.

"Why don't we see just how high up that spy really is Albus."

"I fear we have no other option."

&

Shock crossed Harry's face and he seriously considered screaming out a long noooooooo while clutching his hand to his chest, but decided against it, those movies hadn't even been made yet. Instead he breathed out and yelled in an angry voice, "No, you can't be! You killed my godparents and father!"

Voldemort leaned forward and stared into the green eyes, "Not I Harry. Why would I kill my own son? I sent Cassandra away for her own protection."

"Protection from whom? _Tell the truth_! She was running from you!" Harry snarled in apparent anger.

Riddle stilled at his words, seemingly lost in thought. "Dumbledore hated me and I knew Cassandra and my unborn child would be in danger. So I sent them away."

"No! It's not true!" Harry yelled, seemingly panicked.

"It is true Harry. What reason would I have for lying to you?" Riddle replied smoothly.

"Because you are a psycho pathological liar!" The black haired child spat back.

Distaste crossed the older wizard's face, "I did not kill them Harry. So that begs the question of who did. Who knew of my relationship with Cassandra? Who had enough power to track her down, even when I hid her and distanced myself from her and my son?"

"No he wouldn't!"

"He did." Voldemort hissed out, grabbing Harry by the shoulders and shaking him. "He would do anything to destroy me, the only true threat to his power. He would even go as far as killing innocents just because they were part of my line, all for his greater good."

Voldemort let go of Harry and stared into his eyes, "_He_ killed your father. _He _killed your godparents. Do you really think that it was a coincidence that your father died before he told you about your heritage? Yes, you got the ring but it wouldn't have been enough for you to have found out, I'll even wager that the old man tried to take it from you. Do you not believe it odd that your godparents died before you went to school and you were placed with Dumbledore's greatest supporters?"

"But why?"

"Think Harry. Once you were in school you needed to be_ guided_ on the right path. Who better to do that than the Potters, some of Dumbledore's greatest allies? The greatest irony of it all, my own grandson as Albus Dumbledore's golden boy, defender of the light! The man I hate most would use my own flesh and blood against me with his lies. The power that runs through our veins turned on one another!" Riddle spat.

"He plans for me to kill you." Harry stated.

Voldemort returned to his chair before nodding.

"Dumbledore would convince you that I am some sort of monster."

"If you claim that you are not a monster then how do you account for your actions?"

Riddle thought for a moment before answering, "I do what needs to be done. I'm starting a revolution that will help achieve a change in the destiny of a society and, further, will enable a change in the destiny of humankind. I seek to start a revolution in each and every wizard to change the world."

Disgust crossed the first year's face, "Yet you kill muggleborns and muggles! How is that starting a revolution in every witch and wizard? You're just a bigot!"

"Harry, I care very little for blood. There is only power and those too weak to seek it." Riddle gave the boy a hard look, "How much muggle one is contaminated with matters little. It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow up to be! I seek power and currently disposing of the muggles and muggleborns clenches my support from the dark purebloods. If there was a way in which I could gain the same power without killing them then I would."

The last line was thoroughly unconvincing.

"And if you win? What then? Will you leave the muggleborns along? Give them equal rights? Stop the muggles from being massacred?" Harry demanded.

Voldemort smiled a vicious smile a steely glint entering his eyes.

"When I am ruler no one will dare question me. They will do everything I demand."

"So you are a monster then." The boy stated quietly.

"My blood and power flows through your veins. Do you feel like a monster?"

"It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." Harry replied taking a note out of Dumbledore's book.

Voldemort let out another chilling laugh, "How very quaint. However, I am certainly not the only monster in this world. I am just the most obvious one. I do not hide behind a mask. You could say I'm the lesser of two evils Harry."

"We all hide behind masks."

Uncertainty passed over the Dark Lord's face before he asked, "Your father, what was his name?"

"You don't know?" Harry asked skeptical. Surely Riddle had somehow swindled his Auror report out of the Ministry to read.

At the glare he received back Harry finally spoke, "Patroclus."

Tom's eyes glazed over for a moment in seemingly concentration, "Glory of the father." A chilling and almost _proud _smile crossed the Dark Lord's face before he prompted, "And the middle?"

"Roderick."

The smile widened as Harry continued to stare in wonder;, Riddle was really pulling out all stops to convince him of the grandfather card.

Silence followed until Harry asked, "You mean to keep me here?"

Riddle studied him intently, "Do you really wish to back to the old man to be lied to and manipulated? Back to the real man that killed your family? You would have to face him every day while he smiled and lied to you. You wish to go back to that?"

"And what would my life be like here? I'd just be another puppet to you!" The boy said angrily, "Do not think that I am ignorant enough to believe that you don't have an ulterior motive as well."

"You are _my _grandson; you would not be treated like some common Death Eater. My power runs through your veins, you would be respected and feared by my followers. I will teach you all that you needed to know." Voldemort said with a twisted grin.

Voldemort was offering to take him under his wing? Harry wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it all. If someone had said a year ago that Voldemort would be offering to accept Harry Potter into his ranks as something other than a follower he would have laughed in their face.

"We are much more alike than you would ever believe Harry. We were both given a common muggle name as our mothers lay dying, our fathers were murdered, and we are both orphans, you twice over. We are both parselmouths and extremely powerful. Both of our pasts and skills are similar, you truly are _mine_ Harry."

At the boy's look Riddle gave a small and vicious smile, "You may hate me now, but you will one day know I tell you the truth. I did not kill your family. I'm the only family you have left and I will protect you if you only let me."

Harry swallowed tightly, slightly dazed before answering, "I need time."

Riddle regarded him for another moment before nodding.

"Another thing to consider Harry, you now know of Dumbledore's lies and plans for you. What do you think he'll do when he realizes that his puppet no longer has strings?"

And with those parting words the Dark Lord turned on his heels and left the room.

&Author's Note&

Now...I know many of you either hate or love the story now...for those that hate it. Sorry, but not all is as it seems! LOL.

Yes many of you did guess that Lord Voldemort was going to be Harry's _supposed _grandfather. If you believe that Voldemort was out of character...all I can say is not all is what it appears to be (again). Hopefully, it was believable enough. Now onto some reviewers...I was very tempted to name the chapter 'Dinner at Lord Voldemort's' as one reviewer suggested just for kicks and giggles and it was fitting. If you ask specific questions in a rewiew, I always try to answer them as long as it doesn't give away too much. However, for anon. reviewers...if you want an answer please leave an e-mail address and I'll get back to you. Ripples finally BROKE 1000 REVIEWS! Thank you reviewers! I really appreciate all the feedback and support you have provided. It warms my heart to read them...literally. This chapter was once again betaed by the wonderful JW, though she is not responisble for all the American spelling...that was me. Finally, I have a poll up on my profile (nothing to do with the story) and would appreciate if you took it. Just visit my profile for further information.


	23. Deceptive Measures

**Chapter 23**

**Deceptive Measures  
**

Harry continued to sit and stare at the table in shock.

Voldemort thought that _he_, Harry Potter, was his grandson? Had the world gone crazy or better yet just fate? He couldn't really blame Riddle for assuming that he was somehow related, after all Riddle had no possible way of knowing that his apparent inherited abilities were not so inherited.

He rubbed his scar absently as he continued to think.

And Harry was absolutely sure that he was in the past and not in some alternate version of his home, meaning that Tom Riddle and Cassandra Potter had been romantically involved. Could it be possible that Riddle was partially telling the truth? Did he really send Cassandra into hiding after finding out she was pregnant? Or had the then teen even known she was pregnant?

But it was absurd! Dumbledore was many things…manipulative, yes! But a murderer of innocents and conniving enough to plot this whole supposed 'shenanigan'...absolutely not. The old man really did do what he thought was best for the wizarding world. True, he sometimes got sidetracked and forgot about the people involved but Dumbledore would never kill someone because of their heritage, it went against everything he believed in.

In Harry's original timeline Dumbledore had given his life so that Harry had the chance to beat Riddle. He had destroyed the ring at the cost of his own life…the curse withered away at him until Snape had cast the killing curse, but Albus claimed that it was not an unreasonable exchange for a seventh of Voldemort's soul. Harry may still hold a slight grudge against Albus for being kept in the dark for all those years, but he did not hate the man. Dumbledore had done what he believed was best at the time, and Harry did not believe for a moment that the old man would ever purposely harm him.

Dumbledore's greatest crime was not that he was unfeeling or callous, but rather he felt and cared too much. He believed that the world was on his shoulders and he alone was responsible for it and everyone in it. This belief often gave the respected man the sense that he was somehow entitled to information and knowledge that most would never demand to know. Dumbledore was like an overbearing parent, and the wizardarding world was the headmaster's child. Like most parents Dumbledore cared for the child's happiness and well being, trying to protect and guide them, even knowing that they could not prevent, only prolong, heartache and tragedy.

More likely than not, Cassandra realized the danger she was in and fled from Riddle. It would explain Voldemort's surprise at Harry's existence but accepting the truth all the same. If they had been having relations, it was not out of bounds that a child could have been a product. It would also explain Dumbledore's behavior around Harry. Maybe the old man knew about the teenage romance and came to the same conclusion as Riddle had when he met Harry. Surly, Dumbledore had recognized the ring for what it was and with Harry's claim of Cassandra as a grandmother and Albus' knowledge of the old affair, then it was an obvious conclusion.

And speaking of the ring…how had it ever come into Ollivander's possession? It was obvious that Riddle must have given the ring to Cassandra, but that didn't explain in the least how Ollivander would have it, let alone know to give it to Harry. Clearly, Voldemort thought that Harry had inherited it from his father and not the wandmaker. The more Harry thought on it, the more uncomfortable he became. What or who was Ollivander? The old man knew too much. How had he known about the affair in the first place? It was not something that was common knowledge. And come to think of it, the man had not seemed overly surprised that the ring had worked for him or at his wand choice (either time).

According to Riddle, only a parselmouth would be able to control the ring, obviously Ollivander must have known that he was a paraselmouth. The wandmaker also knew personal things about him: the fact that he could do wandless magic, that he wasn't from 'here,' the odd man even knew his cover story front to back.

Harry felt as if he was missing a large piece of the puzzle, a feeling he despised, but he could not see what it was. He almost felt as if he was willingly walking into a trap. He promised himself that as soon as he could he'd exchange words with the wandmaker, and this time he'd get answers.

It was very doubtful that Cassandra Potter had ever really produced a child, as Dumbledore had never mentioned the fact in the future to Harry. In fact, he had only learned of Cassandra Potter when he looked into his family history, Albus had never mentioned her at all and she had never reappeared in his time line. It was for those very reasons that he had chosen his great-great aunt as the focus for his back story.

So Riddle was using half-truths and Harry's own personal _history_ to construct a picture in which Dumbledore was the real monster. Even Harry had to admit that it was skillfully done. He wasn't surprised however; Tom Riddle had always been a master manipulator, even as an orphaned child. At Hogwarts he had all the teachers and even the Headmaster wrapped around his conniving finger.

If Harry really had been the grandson of Cassandra Potter and Tom Riddle, then he would have been one hundred percent convinced that Albus Dumbledore had not only killed his father and godparents, but had been manipulating him as well. But he was not that boy; he knew that Dumbledore had done no such thing as of yet. So how should he proceed?

He couldn't very well go ahead and kill Riddle so soon. He had no idea where the rest of the Horcruxes were at this time. The ring, and diadem he could easily take care of as he already knew where they were, but he had planned on doing that later incase Voldemort had alarms to alert him of their destruction. As for the diary, he had no clue where it was. Riddle hardly trusted the seventeen-year-old Malfoy enough to hand him one of his Horcrux, and Lestrange was currently a fourth year. The boy wouldn't even join Voldemort's rank for another few years, so there goes Hufflepuff's cup. Nagini had yet to be made or even born for that matter, and the locket had yet to be put in the cave. Nagini could be discounted since she had yet to be made, but Harry was not sure when the locket was made.

Finally, he himself was still one. He still had visions from Voldemort, but that still puzzled him. How could that be possible? How could he still have a link that had yet to be created? Did that piece of soul still exist inside him? And why did he not burn when Riddle touched him earlier?

His mother's protection should still work here as Voldemort did not have his blood. It stood to reason that if his connection with Voldemort was still valid then his mother's protection would be as well. He would have to find someone who meant him harm to test it out on. But what would it mean if the protection was still there and yet he neither hurt nor hurt Riddle when he was touched? Would that mean that the man meant him no harm?

The very concept was foreign to Harry; there had never been a time in which Riddle wasn't after his blood, both figuratively and metaphorically.

If Voldemort truly meant him no harm and believed he was his grandson then what should he do?

Riddle had never had much regard for family, but then again seeing to whom he was related and knowing the Dark Lord's mindset…they weren't even worth claiming, other than their heritage. So why claim a grandson?

Harry could only come to the conclusion that Riddle considered him worthy because he was both powerful and reminded the man of a younger version of himself. A young, powerful, half-blooded orphaned Slytherin, who was a parselmouth.

While he pondered his predicament a sudden burst of flame appeared in front of him on the table.

Harry blinked in surprised at the bird, "'lo Fawkes."

The phoenix chirped a greeting in response before dropping a letter on the table.

"Armageddon then, eh?"

The bird nodded his head in agreement.

"I suppose you're waiting for a response?"

Fawkes nodded again.

"You could just flame me out of here if needed, right? I mean, I've seen you flame Albus before."

The phoenix let out a regretful trill which Harry took as a negative.

With a sigh Harry quickly opened the letter, the flowing letters easily recognizable as the headmaster's.

_Dear Thanatos,_

_I hope this letter finds you well. _Harry snorted, very well indeed. _I understand your wish not to be contacted, however a grave event has occurred. A first-year Hogwarts student was snatched from Platform Nine and Three-Quarters by one of Voldemort's followers. This boy, Harry Potter is an innocent in this war,_ another snort at that, he had rarely been called innocent in his lifetime, _and is in dire need of help. I am begging you to give us information once again my friend. Where is Harry Potter? Any information relating to his whereabouts, condition, and security would be greatly appreciated. _

_Sincerely,_

_Albus Dumbledore_

He looked up at the bird and began to talk to him, "Oh this is just _perfect _two of the three are easily answered, but security? I have no idea. I suppose I could break out but it would look extremely suspicious to Riddle if I did. He'll believe that I am fearful of the old man, so why would I attempt to escape to go him? I am a Slytherin first and foremost. Currently it appears as if Albus is my enemy and Riddle the only direct family I have left. Perhaps, if Albus sent one person in…Tom may think that I was forcefully taken. Decisions, decisions. Any suggestions?"

Fawkes let out a series of trills as the boy stared at him.

"Of course you're right. But who?"

More trills.

"No, Riddle really wants to kill him. Who's really good at infiltration?"

A slightly higher trill.

"Who is Dorcas Meadowes? The name seems familiar."

Harry closed his eyes in concentration. Meadowes, Meadowes? A smiling witch's face came into his mind. He was looking at the middle-aged face as a finger pointed to her and a gruff voice declared, "_Dorcas Meadowes, Voldemort killed her personally."_

For Voldemort to take a personal interest in her meant that she must have been good, but good enough to enter Voldemort's stronghold and _rescue _a prisoner? Given, he didn't seem to be under high security, but surely Riddle had security in place all around this manor?

Time was also an issue. If they thought he was in trouble they would rush in, much more likely to make a fatal mistake from hurried planning.

"Unfortunately Fawkes I seem to be lacking parchment and a quill. Could you just pass along a verbal message?"

The red phoenix nodded his head in consent.

"Harry Potter is well. Voldemort has taken a special interest in him and has forbidden any harm to befall the boy from his followers. He is located at Riddle Manor and security is tight, therefore an open attack should be highly discouraged. If you can bring an operative in, I can move the boy from his rooms to a meeting spot. Take your time and plan things carefully. I will only help if you have a well thought out plan. Contact me once you have a time and date set up."

Fawkes trilled his approval before nuzzling Harry's cheek and then flaming away.

With a sigh Harry went back to his thoughts.

Now the wait begins.

&

Three days had passed and Harry had not yet received an answer from Dumbledore, however, he wasn't overly concerned. If push came to shove, he could still escape if he felt that he was endangered, even if it meant revealing how powerful he was.

However, as time passed he concocted and fine tuned a new plan. Voldemort not only believed that he was Harry's grandfather, but he also seemed unwilling to kill Harry right away. It was clear that Riddle wanted him for something, but Harry would want something in return.

"Have you reached a decision?"

Harry looked over at the seated wizard giving him a calculating gaze.

"Before I agree to anything you will answer some of my questions."

"Agreed."

"You promise that you will answer truthfully?"

The Dark Lord glanced over at the boy in amusement. "You'd take the word of the Dark Lord?"

Harry glared over at the man, "No, but I would take the word of Tom Riddle."

Voldemort's glare intensified while Harry bit back his amusement.

"I will answer to the best of my abilities." Riddle finally hissed.

Harry nodded, well aware that Riddle had not agreed to answer truthfully. If anything he just promised to be as conniving as ever. However, this question session was not about getting answers, but rather about letting Voldemort think that he was controlling Harry.

"Do you want to kill me?"

"No."

"If I chose to stay with you, you wouldn't make me do anything that I did not want to do?" Harry asked staring intently at the older wizard.

Voldemort studied him for a moment, "You do not yet believe in my cause. I will not force you into anything until you believe. While I may wish you would follow my orders, I will not treat you like one of my followers and make you do my biding." Riddle paused and looked Harry over, "There is a reason why I wait until my followers are at least sixteen before I mark them."

Harry nodded, apparently relieved somewhat by the Dark Lord's answer, "Were you being truthful about Dumbledore?"

At the headmaster's name Voldemort's eyes narrowed and a look of loathing crossed his face, "Yes."

"You're serious about training me?"

"Correct."

"So that I can kill Dumbledore?"

Voldemort shot him a calculating look, pleased to see that Harry didn't seem discontented with the idea, "The idea had crossed my mind."

"To do that I would have to be close to him."

Reaching forward Voldemort grabbed the front of Harry's robes and pulled him forward until they were nose to nose, "You seek to betray me _boy_!"

The two glared at each other and Harry felt strong mental probe. He battered it away with a snarl.

"I do not seek to betray you. I was stating a fact." Harry spat disdainfully, "How else would I kill the_ great_ Albus Dumbledore?"

Riddle glared as Harry continued, "Why not dose me with Veritaserum if you are so suspicious?"

Voldemort released his grip and pushed Harry back slightly, "Veritaserum will come later. First we will continue our conversation."

The boy nodded his head.

Riddle stared at him in interest, "Who taught you how to shield your mind?"

Harry shrugged slightly, "My godparents. My godfather in particular taught me the most. It really wasn't that hard, I picked up on it almost right away. Zach thought I was a natural." He'd rather have Voldemort believe that he was naturally skilled at the mind arts, rather than having them from years of practice.

Voldemort nodded his acceptance, easily believing that his grandson would inherit his natural skill at the art. He smiled quietly before asking, "You hold no qualms about killing the old man?"

Harry snorted, "I had no qualms about killing you a few days ago either." 'Still don't.' He added mentally. "But-things have changed."

Voldemort gave him a calculating look, "You are nowhere nearly strong or trained enough to defeat the old fool. It will be years before you could even hope to kill him. You must stay here and train, only then could you hope to beat the old man."

He glared at the Dark Lord, "I'm not nearly as weak as you believe! I'm far ahead of my year mates, and besides, I do not need to be more skilled than Dumbledore to kill him. I already have a plan that will work. I've thought of little else for the past three days. I will kill the _one_ who took my parents away from me, and I will do it my way!"

Riddle stared at him in disbelief and displeasure, "I do not doubt you believe that your plan would work, but in the end could you follow through with it, boy?" Riddle asked lightly staring at him intently, "Can you really look the man in the eye and draw up enough hate to end his life?"

Harry let the question hang in the air for a few minutes while steeling his features before lifting his head high and staring Voldemort in the eye, "To end a murderer? I can and I will."

"Then why do you feel you need to be close to him? Getting to know him will only make your task all that more difficult to complete."

Harry let a dark smile cross his features, "Why _Grandfather _surely you've heard the saying, 'keep your friends close and your enemies closer'? It's all part of the plan."

"You mean to stab him in the back?" Voldemort asked amused.

The irony was not lost on Harry as he nodded.

"Dumbledore means to use me to kill you correct?" Harry asked, centering in on an unidentifiable flash in Riddle's eyes as the wizard nodded, "He'll have to gain my trust then, and ultimately bring me into his confidence. And then…when he trusts me unconditionally, and only then will I strike. Bringing him to his knees, I'll end his pathetic excuse of a life right after I watch the realization flood his eyes."

Harry gazed off in space, his eyes sparkling with violence and a fierce smile on his face, "He's already approached me and begin teaching me of your past. Don't you see, he is already grooming me to kill you? He already believes that he has me fooled, and honestly he did until recently. My stay here has changed that."

Voldemort looked on with an unidentifiable expression on his face, "You truly are a Slytherin, but you are still too impulsive. Your plans have many flaws."

"Blame it on my Potter side."

"Ah yes, the Potters. What do you plan to do with them?" Voldemort asked with a sneer.

Harry let confusion play over his face, "Do with them? I think they are just as much victims as I am. They do not know the truth about Dumbledore. Why would I do anything to them?"

Disgust crossed Riddle's features, "They are his lap dogs Harry. Did you really think they loved you?" The Dark Lord's voice took on a slightly mocking tone, "That they would replace what you had lost? It is a fool's hope, Harry. They threw their lot in with Dumbledore, the man that took your family away."

"I refuse to kill them!" Harry let his voice crack, "They are my family."

He turned desperate and pleading eyes on Voldemort, "I can't kill family, they have my blood! My magic! It would be an abomination and slight on magic."

Riddle took Harry by the shoulders and stared into his eyes, "They are not your family. _I_ am! They do not have your magic. _I _do! They do not care for you. _I_ will. _You _are_ mine_."

"You are my family?" Harry seemed to whisper to himself lost in thought.

"Yes." Voldemort stated, answering the question.

The dark haired boy looked up at the older man, "You will care for me?"

Riddle's eyes darkened and his lips pinched, "I will not cuddle you if that is what you mean. You are _my_ grandson, you have _my_ power. I will give you everything you could possibly need to reach your full potential. When people look upon you, they will know you are _mine_. All will come to respect you and act accordingly."

Harry turned haunted eyes on Voldemort, "Please, it's the one thing I ask. They will be spared."

Riddle frowned with disgust on his face, but slightly relenting, "In return you will kill Dumbledore?"

Harry licked his lips before answering, "Yes, their lives for his."

"Done."

&

"Are you sure you are willing to go through with this Dorcas?" Albus asked lightly, not wishing to force anyone into such a dangerous situation.

"Of course I'm sure Albus. I could never live with myself if I backed out and left that poor boy to be tortured to death. I'd rather attempt and fail than know that I did nothing at all." The middle-aged woman declared firmly, "Now stop staling and tell me the plan."

Albus' eyes twinkled slightly, "My dear, why do you believe I have a plan?"

The blond snorted, "Albus you have a plan for everything. I'd say you already had it planned out in excruciating detail before you called me here. Just tell me what to do."

"As blunt as ever my dear Dorcas. I must say in these troubling times your attitude is a breath of fresh air." The old man leaned back in his armchair before looking at her intently, "I need you to infiltrate the manor, where an operative will meet you with Harry. Secrecy is the Key. Our best chances at helping the boy will be stealth. You must not be seen."

Dorcas paled slightly but her face was determined, "Numbers?"

Dumbledore sighed before rubbing his nose, "We do not know. Where Harry is being held security is tight, but our friend is going to get the boy as far away from the security as possible."

She nodded her head in understanding, "Do we know the lay out of the manor?"

"I inquired in the muggle world and have received copies of the original layout of the manor," Dumbledore said while pulling out some papers from his desk drawer, "though I do not know if the manor has been changed by magic or what wards are on the inside. It is best to assume the worst and go from there."

The woman grinned wryly, "Well Albus you are starting to sound like Alastor."

"Indeed."

&

"Done."

Harry sagged, relieved, before tensing again when Riddle spoke up, "However, you will stay here until you are trained."

"That will ruin my plan!"

"Surely the great Albus Dumbledore will take you back; just convince him you were my prisoner." Voldemort snarled slightly.

"Technically I _am_ your prisoner." Harry frowned in annoyance.

Riddle waved his hand dismissively, "You're an honored guest. If you were a prisoner I would have you kept in the dungeons."

"How skilled do you consider 'trained'?" Harry asked slyly.

At his tone Voldemort narrowed his eyes, "We will see. Now I must take my leave as I have a prior engagement. Tomorrow I will test your skills."

Harry nodded as the Dark Lord rose, his robes billowing around his body as he gracefully stalked out of the room.

Harry let out a sigh of relief and slumped slightly in his seat, retaining his shields and manipulating Voldemort took a lot out of him, both mentally and physically. He pulled out his wand and cast some locking charms on his door before casting some secrecy charms on the room. If Fawkes returned tonight, he'd rather they not be disturbed.

&

Harry dozed lightly, curled up in the comfortable bed. He had just snuggled down deeper when a flash woke him. Smiling slightly at the bird on his chest, he sleepily reached out and stroked Fawkes.

"Hmm, 'lo Fawkes."

The bird nuzzled his hand in greeting.

With a larger smile Harry took the letter and glanced through it before sitting up sharply, causing the bird to fall backwards. The phoenix let out an angry shriek while he cursed.

"Blasted man! Could have at least given me a twenty-four hour notice." Harry muttered throwing the covers off his legs and atop the glaring bird.

He took little notice as he threw on his clothing, checked his pockets for all of his possessions before taking the pink journal out and laying it on his desk. Earlier he had penned a letter to 'Abigail' explaining how the journal worked. Voldemort should find the journal after Harry was 'rescued' and be able to contact him securely. Hopefully Riddle would believe that the journal was left in haste as Harry was spirited away. Everything relied on Voldemort's belief that Harry hadn't gone willingly. The Dark Lord must believe that Harry was still under his sway.

Glancing around his room one last time, he finally caught sight of his smoldering blankets. With a jerk of his hand the covers straightened themselves revealing a ruffled Fawkes. The fiery bird glared, his feathers puffed up comically.

"Sorry Fawkes, I was just panicked for a moment. Please forgive me." Harry muttered trying to look repentant.

Fawkes only glared more, his look clearly stating that Harry was an idiot for thinking a phoenix would fall for such a boldfaced lie.

At the glare, the boy simply shrugged before smiling widely, "Alright, that was a lie, but I wouldn't have 'accidentally' covered you if your pet hadn't startled me. Maybe once you're back you can burn a few of his favorite socks?"

The phoenix huffed slightly.

"Oh come on, he'll be clueless as to why you did it, which will make it all worth while. Nothing bothers the man more than not knowing the reason for an event." Harry persuaded.

Fawkes looked thoughtful before nodding his head slightly in agreement, causing the boy to smile again.

"Excellent." He said before casting silencing spells on the room, "You'd think that old Tom would have something to detect the magic going on in here, but instead he only has tracers on the outside of the door. It's a good thing he forgot to lock it on the way out, otherwise he would know that I opened the door."

Fawkes trilled in agreement.

Harry turned and studied the room, "How much damage do you think would be sufficient?"

Some musical trills followed.

"Yes, just enough to make it seem like I put up a fight. Maybe some broken furniture and a bit of my blood? Hm, my blankets are singed, that should count for something." He muttered distractedly.

He added the mentioned additions before a few more random ones. He was sure to leak out extra magic to contaminate the area, making it harder to pinpoint how many magical signatures had been used. Finally he threw some stunning hexes at the wall and bed, leaving scorch marks.

Satisfied he stashed his wand before sitting on the last steady chair.

"And now my dear Fawkes, we wait until I am 'rescued'. I suppose Thanatos should break me out in ten minutes or so, yeah?"

Fawkes chirped an affirmative.

"Well if that's the case, then I guess this is it. I suppose I'll see you back at Hogwarts or headquarters, wherever that is during this time period."

With a trill of good luck the bird flamed out of the room.

"Eight minutes." Harry muttered to the empty room beginning the countdown.

&Author's Note&

I just wanted to thank everyone who reveiwed and reassured me that they still liked the story. Once again this chapter was betaed by JW. Hope you enjoyed!


	24. Shadowed Truths

**Chapter 24**

**Shadowed Truths**

"Ten, nine, eight…oh screw it." Harry muttered getting up from the chair. With one last glance around his temporary dwelling, checking to see if he was forgetting anything, he quietly made his way from the room. A few minutes previously he had disillusioned himself and placed silencing spells on his feet. He honestly wished that he had thought to ask Dumbledore how he became invisible without an invisibility cloak when he had the chance. Instead, every time he found himself in a situation similar to this he had to rely on methods that could be detected. Of course Dumbledore's method may be detectable as well, but he'd never know until he learnt how he did it, now would he?

Stealthily he moved out of the room and into the shadowed hallway. Keeping to the shadows he silently made his way down the hall. He was slightly surprised when he did not come across a single Death Eater as he approached the meeting point but not too bothered by the fact. According to the note, he was still ten minutes early but he had been banking on that. Taking a letter out of his pocket he made a jabbing motion with his hand. The paper quickly folded itself in his trademark airplane before with another jab of his hand it shimmered out of view. He had specifically spelled the letter to reappear when it touched Dorcas Meadowes, and after she read it, it would disintegrate into ash, ensuring that Riddle would never get his hands or eyes on the information it contained. Riddle would suspect soon enough that he had a traitor in his ranks without the letter to confirm it and as soon as Riddle contacted him with the journal Harry would confirm that there was a traitor in the Death Eaters' midst.

&

Two cloaked figures stood in a deserted clearing in the dark forest, a gentle breeze blew through the wet leaves, causing the occasional soft rustle and dislodgment of water. The smaller figure pulled his cloak closer to their body, seeming as if he were trying to ward off the slight chill brought on by the earlier shower combined with the early morning hour, while the larger person glanced at his pocket watch.

"It's time."

At the growled statement the smaller person lifted their head, the shadows falling back slightly to reveal her face, "So it is." Her voice was soft but firm at the same time, seemingly hiding steel beneath its calm surface.

"Good luck." The scarred man grunted, lifting his head and giving the member what he hoped was an encouraging smile, but turned out to be more of a grimace.

The blond smiled back, her eyes glinting with determination, "Thank you Alastor." She looked around the clearing one last time before apparating away.

Moody glanced around the clearing once again and gave out a frustrated sigh before disillusioning himself and slinking into the nearest tree's shadow to wait. He hated waiting, but there was nothing else he could do.

&

Dorcas reappeared on the outskirts of the muggle village and right outside the manor's wards. She silently studied the wards for a few minutes, looking for an error that would allow her to breach the wards without being detected. Unfortunately, the wards were just as Albus had indicated…strong and impenetrable. She wasn't a ward breaker but she had worked in infiltration long enough to recognize the Locognization Ward when she saw it. However, the ward had been altered slightly, if she had to guess she would say that it was keyed onto the dark mark. Anyone who entered who did not bear the mark would immediately alert Voldemort of their presence.

Well, the Order had suspected as much and had planned accordingly. The only way to proceed was forward. With a deep breath she quickly transformed into a small silver hawk with piercing eyes. Flapping her wings a few times to stretch, she let out a harsh cry before speeding forwards. Flying, she could be at the meeting spot in a few minutes, hopefully not long enough for the Death Eaters to find the Potter boy missing and come looking for him.

She sped through the sky, the ground below her rushing past, until, with a sharp pull upwards, she sped into the dark sky before leveling off and circling the manor, looking for the exact window. Spotting it, she dove forward and crashed through the glass panels. She let out a hiss of pain, something that sounded quiet odd coming from a bird, as she transformed back. Cuts lined her face and hands but she ignored them in favor of listening intently for any movement.

The room she landed in seemed to be a large bedroom, just as the blueprints had indicated, but the room was covered in dust and cobwebs hung in the corners. Slightly curious she glanced around the room. Old black and white pictures hung on the walls and a few books were stacked on the nightstand by the bed, which was unmade, the covers looked as if they had been pulled precariously off in haste. The closet door was partly open, and she could see dresses hanging along with a few male dress shirts and jackets. A detailed music box lay on the dresser, its lid open and energy long spent, along with an ivory brush and matching comb set. It was almost as if the room's inhabitant had just simply vanished, leaving all their personal belongings behind. The wrongness of the scene sent a chill down her spine and she felt the urge to leave the room quickly. With a wave of her wand she disappeared from sight before she moved forward and pressed her ear to the door.

She remained like that for several seconds before concluding that there wasn't anyone in the hallway. Quietly she opened the door and crept out, closing the door behind her. The hall was sparsely decorated and covered with a light layer of dust, as if this wing of the manor had not been in use in years. She moved forward, running to the end of the hall, making no sound on the wooden floors. Looking around the corner, and seeing no one she prepared to make another sprint when something small and light tapped into the side of her head. She froze and gripped her wand, but before she could spin a small paper airplane came into her view. Letting out a sigh of relief she deftly shot out a hand and grabbed the note, shaking it open. Albus had mentioned that this was one of Thanatos' favorite ways to communicate.

_Miss Meadowes,_

_The boy is at the meeting place. It is imperative that I not be seen to be absent when the boy is discovered to be missing. He was under the Imperius Curse, forcing me to stun and disillusion him. The stunner is on a modified time limit, so I suggest you reach the boy soon, before he reappears and one of my associates pick him up._

_-Thanatos_

_PS Let it go._

_PSS It's better up than down._

She blinked at the letter, reading the last line again, 'better up than down' what could the man possibly mean? Was he giving her a warning? And 'let it go'? She stared confusedly at the last two lines. Without forewarning the letter crumbled away, until she was holding a pile of ash.

Well that explained 'let it go', she thought as she released the pile, watching uninterestedly as it floated to the ground, but what about the other line? Shrugging, she moved forward heading to her original goal.

Within a few more minutes she had reached the meeting place. As she looked around, the air beneath a painting seemed to shimmer a moment before the pre-teen boy appeared, wand directed at her heart, "Who's there?"

&

He was getting bored. His rescuer was already two minutes late, but then again not every one could be a stickler for time. He fingered his wand uninterestedly as he gazed down the hallway in both directions. Where was everyone? The lack of Death Eaters once again seemed to strike a cord in him. Not that he knew for sure that the manor was usually swarming with the scum, but in his previous stay at Malfoy Manor there had always been a few Death Eaters around to play, whether he was up for it or not. There hadn't been a Death Eater attack on this day originally, so Voldemort must have his Death Eaters doing something unofficial, something that wasn't recorded in the official history…but surely there had to be a few of them wandering around?

A slight shuffle caught his interest and he concentrated staring down the hall until a slight shimmer caught his attention. Clearing his face he pointed his wand at where the person's heart should be before dropping the disillusionment charm, "Who's there?"

Silence reigned for a moment until Meadowes' charm fell as well, still he did not remove his wand. Instead he eyed her warily trying to put as much uncertainty and disdain in his stare as he could muster, "Don't move or I will curse you."

The middle-aged woman glanced around before raising her hands in a placating manner, "You do not have to fear me. I'm here to rescue you. Your family sent me."

She watched as his eyes narrowed and the grip on his wand intensified, "Prove it."

She blinked uncertainly, mind racing, frantically trying to think of a way to reassure the boy. What did she know about the boy? Oh honestly! They didn't have time for this. Surely the Death Eaters knew the boy was gone by now?

"Show me your arm." Harry finally ground out, wand steady and apparently ready to cast.

Dorcas blinked in surprise before slowly lowering her hands and pulling back her left sleeve to show unmarred skin. Almost immediately Harry lowered his wand in response and stepped forward, "My family really sent you?"

The older women nodded again before stepping forward, her eyes running critically over the boy looking for any obvious damage. She was surprised when she found none besides a light cut on his left cheek, "Yes. Come, we must get out of here quickly."

She frowned when she raised her wand and the boy flinched back.

"I'm not going to harm you. I just need to make us invisible. Here, hold my hand so I won't lose you." She said before holding out her hand.

Harry tentatively took the offered hand as the witch cast the charm on him, before she quickly cast it on herself.

"Try not to make a sound, and don't let go of my hand, ok?" She asked with a nod before remembering he couldn't see her.

"Yes, but don't you think-"

His sentence was cut off by a loud boom from the direction Harry's room had been in.

"Come." Dorcas said as she pulled the boy along, down the hall and preplanned path that Albus had mapped.

Shouts could be heard behind them and loud footsteps could be heard, with little choice the pair broke into a run, flying down the hallways. The older woman pulled him around another corner before coming to a full stop.

"This isn't supposed to be here." She muttered looking at the staircase.

Harry looked curiously at the older women. What wasn't supposed to be there? Did it really matter, the Death Eaters were after all closing in, and surely they'd have a better chance just choosing either up or down?

"They're coming, we don't have time for this. How about down?" He finally said tugging slightly on the woman's hand to get her attention as she muttered to herself.

"Down? Why does that sound…of course! Better up than down! Come on Harry!" Dorcas said and with a tug they were both flying up the stairs.

Harry frowned slightly to himself. He hadn't really meant anything by that when he placed it in the letter. He was hoping that it would get back to Albus and annoy the old man as he tried to figure out what his informant had meant.

They entered what appeared to be another unused hallway. Looking down he mentally groaned as he noticed the trail they were leaving in the dust, but trekked on regardless.

The woman quickly opened a door and glanced in. Perfect! She hustled the boy through the door and to the window.

"Now Harry I have to remove the charm for a moment okay?"

"Okay." He agreed, silently wondering what the plan was.

Once he was visible again, he saw a small phoenix ring appear out of seemingly thin air. Dorcas took his right hand and quickly slipped the ring on, "This is a portkey. Once we are out of the manor's wards we will portkey out." A small broom appeared next to them and she quickly enlarged it, "Now listen very carefully," she whispered, "we're flying until we are past the wards. If anything should happen to me keep flying until you are out. Then land and use the portkey, key word 'safety'. There will be a man in the clearing waiting for you. Understand?"

Harry nodded his head in agreement.

"Right, well I guess I should-"

The door blasted open and a large man leaped through the remains, throwing curses before he even finished entering. Harry was shoved out of the way of an oncoming curse and heard a sharp gasp of pain as the blue curse hit the patch of air he had just inhabited. Frowning he whipped out his wand in annoyance and anger. That curse wasn't very nice at all, he knew from experience. Not only did it break your ribs but it slowly squeezed the air from your lungs until you passed out, that was…if the initial pain didn't knock you out first. Dorcas most defiantly had been knocked out from it, as having all of your ribs simultaneously broken was rather painful. Even he hadn't been able to stay conscious the first few times.

He silently threw a blood boiling curse at the unknown Death Eater, who jumped out of the way and quickly sent a barge of curses back. Harry didn't even attempt to block the curses. Instead he silently cast an unknown spell that he had found in an ancient Greek spell book on defensive shields. The Death Eater faltered in slight amazement. Instead of tearing the boy apart, the spells simply hit the boy and was absorbed, causing the boy to softly glow with golden light, until the last spell was absorbed and he glowed brightly.

Had the Death Eater not been staring with amazement he may have been able to block the bone crushing hex that hit him squarely in the chest, throwing him backwards into the wall where he impacted with a loud crack. With a smirk Harry waved his wand again. A paper with a sketch of a lion devouring a snake appeared on the fallen man's chest.

Harry continued to glow, but was beginning to dim as he turned back to Dorcas. Unknown to him, she had seen him glowing brightly before she was claimed by darkness. With a sigh he found where her body was lying and cast a few healing spells on it. Nothing too advanced but enough to ensure that it was safe to move her. With another flick of his wand, he had her floating in the air. Mounting the broom he positioned the woman in front of him, gripping her tightly, before releasing the spell. He struggled with her weight for a moment before he became used to the unaccustomed weight. Leaning forward, he rocketed, as fast as brooms in the '70s could rocket, out of the windows and across the ground.

&

Alastor checked his watch again before looking at the sky. Dawn was quickly approaching and there was still no sign of Dorcas and the boy. He had an uneasy feeling about this, and he had learnt to always trust his hunches. They had saved his skin on more than one occasion, and at the moment they were telling him to be weary. Something was definitely amiss and he unsure as to what.

He jumped slightly when two bodies fell from the sky. The landing was going to be a rough one he thought as he watched the boy hold tightly onto a slumped body and brace his legs for the impact. When it came the boy toppled over and he and the cloaked person fell to the ground.

He gripped his wand tightly and quickly pointed it at the boy before moving to stand over the pair.

Harry glanced up; catching a glimpse of the face under the hood did not set him at ease. Alastor Moody was just as likely to curse him as a Death Eater was. He quickly back peddled and reached for his wand, but paused as the older man's wand was shoved in his face.

"Don't even think about it boy!"

Smirking internally, Harry quickly reached up and grabbed the wand before striking out with his foot, catching the auror in the crotch before hitting him in the stomach. Initially Harry frowned when his first kick did not bring Moody to his knees, but cheered up slightly when the auror doubled over from the stomach kick.

He turned the wand on its master before standing then quickly had to jump out of the way when the man launched himself forward at Harry. He quickly cast the tripping hex, followed by the binding charm and smiled slightly when the man fell forward, bound on the ground.

"You're a Death Eater!" Harry accused in an ice cold voice, moving to where he could see Moody's face as his hood had slipped during the clash.

The scarred man glared back, "I'm no Death Eater boy! Now untie me, we don't have time for this nonsense."

He received an incredulous glare back, "You attack me and then expect me to untie you? Do you really think I am that stupid?"

"Look Potter, how long do you think it will take them to track that portkey?" Moody ground out, "We don't have time for this garbage. Release me _now_!"

"If you really are who she," here Harry pointed at the downed woman, "told me I was supposed to meet, then you are supposed to have another portkey." He paused a minute, gauging the man's reaction, the slight twitch of Moody's left eye gave it away. The man did have a portkey. Harry continued, "It's quite simple. Either you give me the portkey and I portkey us all out of here, or I'll leave you here for the Death Eaters to find while I take the woman and fly off, get it?"

Moody turned slightly purple in the face, "Now see here-"

"You have twenty seconds to tell me where the portkey is or I will leave." Harry interrupted.

The man glared at him for a few more seconds after the statement. A look mixed with annoyance and a bit of respect.

"Ten seconds."

"Left pocket. Bag of Lemon Drops." Alastor finally said gruffly.

"Accio lemon drops." Harry said and catching the bag in his left hand. With another wave of his borrowed wand and a muttered incantation Moody was floating through the air and over to the downed female. Harry quickly deposited the man on the ground.

"You have the portkey, now untie me boy!" The man demanded sharply.

"I said I'd portkey us out, not that you'd be untied while it happened. I'm still not convinced you aren't a Death Eater." Harry said smugly. He grabbed the woman once again and hefted her up until she was leaning against him. With a grunt he held out the portkey to Moody, "You coming or not? The broom offer still stands."

With one last curse Moody reached his bound hands forward and placed his hand on the bag, "Earwax." And with that last word the trio was pulled from the clearing.

&

Once again Harry found himself sprawled across the grass after the portkey landed. Luckily he was not alone this time, as a cursing Moody was laid out five feet from him and Dorcas was right next to him, thankfully still passed out, though that green color she was sporting wasn't good.

With a groan he swiftly got to his feet. Looking around in interest at his surroundings, Moody's wand still gripped tightly in his hand, he saw that he was on Hogwarts' front lawn. He appeared to relax slightly when he spotted Albus and Harold hurrying forward with Poppy trailing slightly behind them.

"Harry!" Harold yelled running forwards and pulling the boy into a firm hug. Holding his cousin tightly against his body he rubbed small circles on the boy's back until Harry relaxed against him, and burrowed his small head further into his burgundy robes, "Everything will be ok. You're safe now. He can't get you here."

Harry let out a contented sigh and rested his head on his grandfather's chest as the older man continued to rub his back. If only he was naïve enough to believe that he'd always be safe. No, he knew that even Hogwarts wasn't safe against Riddle when the man put his mind to it. But for the moment he was safer than a few hours ago.

Harold ran his hand through Harry's tousled hair before lifting the boys face up to meet his eyes, "Are you hurt?"

Harry shook his head before stepping back, but Harold refused to let him pull back. Instead he placed an arm around the boy's shoulders and pulled him to his side, "We'll still get you checked over by Madam Pomfrey. Mary will kill me if we don't."

Harry turned his head back to the others watching as Madam Pomfrey worked on Dorcas and Alastor hissed quietly at Albus, gesturing with his hands. He wasn't totally sure but he thought he caught Moody make a throttling gesture a few times before pointing in his general direction, however, he could have been mistaken. Albus seemed slightly amused by something, if the twinkle in his eye was anything to go by before he said something that seemingly placated the paranoid man.

"Are they ok?" Harry asked in a small voice, knowing that his grandfather would know who he meant.

Harold looked down to see Harry staring back up at him intently.

"They're fine. In the castle actually, sleeping at the moment."

The boy nodded before turning around to find Dumbledore and Moody standing in front of them.

"My wand." Moody said holding out a slightly scarred hand.

Harry handed over the wand after glancing at Dumbledore, who smiled slightly and nodded his head in silent approval.

With a slight huff, Moody grabbed the wand and stashed it in a leather holder on his arm, before turning his glare back on Harry, with an affronted and approving look in his eyes.

"Ever thought about what you'd do after Hogwarts, Potter?" The man growled out.

Biting his tongue, Harry suppressed what he really wanted to reply to that question and instead shook his head. He didn't think his grandfather could take a jibe about even making it out of school alive.

Moody pulled out a card from his pocket and handed it to the boy. Harry took it with a slight frown, reading it over.

"You've got quite a bit of the Potter line in you to get the jump on me. I'll be looking forward to working with you in the future. Next time I won't be so easy to trick."

"Recruiting my boy already Alastor?" Harold asked with a bit of pride but protectiveness as well.

Harry felt his heart jump with emotion when he heard his grandfather refer to him as 'his'. He leaned into the protective arm around his shoulders as Moody answered, "Get them while they're young, better able to mold them that way."

"The one thing I want to know is what happened to you in the past to caused you to wear a cup?" Harry asked innocently looking curiously at the auror, now realizing what had bothered him earlier when he had kicked the man.

Harold burst out laughing at the scowl once again directed at the boy.

"Always be prepared." Moody huffed before stalking up the lawn towards the castle.

The three men watched him for a moment before their staring was interrupted by Madam Pomfrey, "Well Albus, we'll need to get her to the hospital wing, and," she paused to send a piercing gaze over to Harry, "I still need to examine Mr. Potter."

Harry stifled his groan as he was led away by his uncle.


	25. The Monster Within

**Chapter 25**

**The Monster Within**

"Hmfph."

Harry warily watched the nurse as she cast yet another diagnosis spell.

"Honestly I'm fine!" He protested weakly under her quelling glare.

"I'll be the one to determine that you are fine, Mr. Potter." The nurse said sharply.

He leaned further back into the pillow, hoping that it would somehow swallow him and take him anywhere but here. He was just released from here less than a week ago!

"Yes Madam Pomfrey." He replied dutifully, pulling the covers further up on his chest with a sigh.

A soft cough interrupted what would soon turn into a torture session.

The nurse and patient turned and looked at the third person.

"Seeing as Mr. Potter is not in any immediate danger, perhaps I could have a few minutes with him?" Dumbledore said lightly, looking over the top of his spectacles at the nurse.

Frowning slightly, Poppy grudgingly nodded her consent before leaving for her office.

Harry turned back to the headmaster. Albus gave him a slight smile before conjuring a comfy chair. He settled back into it, well aware of the boy's eyes on him.

"It is good to see that you are unharmed Harry." Dumbledore finally said as he reached into his robes and pulled out a small bag, "Lemon drop?" As Harry shook his head in the negative, Albus popped one of the small candies in his mouth, "Ah, I must say that the muggles make the most fantastic sweets. Wouldn't you agree?"

Harry nodded his head, "I'm particularly fond of Mars Bars."

The two shared a small smile before Dumbledore continued, "I know you may not wish to speak of your ordeal but leaving it until later will not make the telling any less painful, my boy."

Harry bowed his head slightly, before playing with a lose thread on the sheet.

"Harry?"

"Sir, a man I respected once told me that the truth is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution." Harry said slowly and softly, glancing up he looked into the headmaster's eyes, "I understand what he meant. Therefore, I wish to proceed with caution." That said Harry once again drew his eyes to the sheet.

Dumbledore nodded his head, "A very wise belief Harry. However, I ask that you inform me to the best of your abilities."

The boy nodded his agreement.

"I suppose I should start with my abductor."

"Armando Balaz."

Harry glanced up at the older wizard. Dumbledore's expression was calm but his eyes were alive with intense interest.

"Yes and no, sir. The man that abducted me was known to us as Armando Balaz, but he was not Armando Balaz. I believe the real Balaz is dead."

Albus nodded his acceptance.

"On the day of the defense exam, Balaz approached me and informed me that I had a tracking spell on my person, something which he assured me was not supposed to be there. Fearing that the tracker was placed by the person who attacked me at the quidditch match, I allowed Balaz to remove the tracker and transfer it to a pendant I was wearing. He assured me that he would inform you of the tracker and suggested I keep the pendant in my trunk until he asked for it back. Now I see the error in that decision, but I trusted him, he was my professor…I never suspected…" Harry trailed off before speaking up again, "I suppose you placed that tracker on me, sir?"

"Indeed, I did. Fearing another mishap, I placed the charm on you. The charm would warn me if you were injured and inform me where you were. It was to ensure that I could reach you both quickly and efficiently if you were injured. I assure you that the charm was placed for your own safety."

Harry nodded his head, seemingly accepting Dumbledore's answer.

"And the reason you didn't inform me of the tracker?"

Dumbledore regarded him over his spectacles, "I can see my error in not doing so, but at the time I did not wish to trouble you. I believed informing you that I was fearful for your safety would only cause you undue stress and worry. I desired to keep that burden from you."

Harry looked up and studied the man. Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore…one of the greatest leaders the wizarding world had ever seen, but yet he was still a man…still fallible, still prone to errors and irrational emotions. The man had always seemed to have a soft spot for Harry Potter, past and future. Harry had often believed that the man had chosen the happiness of the many over Harry's own, but that decision tore the man apart. He was sure beyond doubt that if Albus was able, he would have lifted the burden of the prophecy off any innocent's shoulders and placed it on his own. That was just the sort Dumbledore was…for all the man's shortcomings he made up for it with his humanity and good intentions.

Albus must have sensed he was being judged for he stared quietly back, waiting for judgment to be passed.

After several minutes of silence Harry locked eyes with the headmaster, "Do not spare me on account of troubling my mind, sir. After all, who spares the great Albus Dumbledore? Who shelters you from burdensome thoughts? I do understand the beauty and terribleness of the truth, but it's preferable over the alternative. I, for one, do not wish to live in a glass tower, nor do I wish to be the one throwing the rocks. I believe we are alike in that respect, sir. We'd much rather be the ones rebuilding the tower after it falls. If we shall worry, then let us worry together."

Albus' eyes sparkled with respect and sadness, "Wise words once again, Mr. Potter."

Harry shrugged, uncomfortable with the praise from Dumbledore.

"You are uncomfortable with praise?"

He shrugged again, "It depends on what I am being praised for. Grades, manners, sports...I am comfortable being complimented on, but when I am complimented on insights and wisdom it hits me at the core. Being good at sports, getting good grades, and having good manners are things that describe what I do. My insights are usually reserved to my own mind; therefore, they are essentially more me than the things that describe me. You know, sir, 'I think, therefore I am.' My thoughts are in essence, me."

Harry blushed slightly and looked vaguely uncomfortable.

"René Descartes," Albus said with a smile, "I understand your meaning completely, young Harry. You are wise beyond your few years."

"I'm not a child, Professor. Age can not be measured in years but rather in experiences. I haven't been a child since the death of my parents, so please do not treat me as such. I've allowed you to do that for the past year, but I can now see that was a mistake on my part. I may act like a child when called to do so, but for the most part I'm far beyond childish. Just as you wear a mask, so do I." He let out a small sigh.

Dumbledore looked slightly surprised, "You regret placing your trust in me?"

"I have not regretted anything I have told you, but I do regret not asserting myself more." Harry admitted, "I generally rely on myself, sir. I do not like placing my troubles on others; it is one reason I try to act childish around my family. Not only because I do not wish to burden them but also because it is risky to do so."

"Then I am even more honored that you have entrusted me with your troubles." Albus said quietly.

"Honored is not the correct word, sir. It is me who is honored, for now I am in need of your wisdom." Harry admitted, continuing to play with the loose thread, "But first I'd like to ask you a question."

"Yes?"

"Do you believe a child bears the sins of its forefathers?"

Albus leaned forward until he caught Harry's gaze, "It is our choices and actions that we must account for, not the deeds of those who share our blood, for the family of humanity shares far greater ties than that of blood. So no, I do not believe the actions of the father are shared by the child. You are not your father, nor your grandfather, nor any other relative. You are you, and you alone decide your actions. You are whoever you wish to be, Harry. Do not let anyone tell you differently."

The boy nodded his head before replying in a soft voice, "I am neither my father nor grandfather, but you may change your mind once you find out why Voldemort kidnapped me."

"I will never doubt you because of your blood, Harry." Albus said equally as softly.

"Won't you? Not even when you look into my face and see him?" Harry asked sharply, his eyes narrowed, "You see both my grandfather and grandmother when you look at me, don't you professor? _Tell the truth_."

As he hissed the last sentence in parseltongue Dumbledore stiffened and flinched back as if he had been slapped in the face, surprise shown in his eyes.

"You seemed surprised, professor, but you really shouldn't be. You already guessed, if not knew, who my grandfather was…is." Harry amended.

Regret shone in the headmaster's eyes, "I wished to keep that knowledge from you as well, to spare you from this pain and uncertainty. It is not easy to accept the truth when it is something so hard to bear."

"But bear it I should." Was the almost frosty response, "So tell me, was he right? Do you hate me now that you truly know me for what I am? He told me that every time you looked at me you saw him. Is it true, professor? Do you see the monster?" Harry prodded in a cold voice.

Sadness engulfed Albus' face and he seemed to slump back into his chair and a long pause passed before he answered, "Physically, I see him in you, as I see your grandmother, but I do not hate you Harry, for you have shown yourself to be as far from Lord Voldemort as possible. You possess qualities in quantities that Lord Voldemort has never shown."

"How?" Harry croaked out, "How is it you can stand to look at me when you see that monster in my face, hear him in my voice, and watch him in my actions? You should hate and despise me."

"You are not your grandfather, Harry." Albus said softly, "It seems it is not I who needs to accept that but rather yourself."

"No one can ever know." Harry said sharply.

Dumbledore gave the boy a well hidden look of pity, "Not even your family, Harry?"

"Especially not the Potters." He demanded bitingly.

"They will not reject you."

Harry gave him a disbelieving look, "Why take the chance? Why subject myself to that heartache? They have every right to reject me. Especially James, he'll never understand."

"I see that I can not convince you otherwise." Albus finally sighed, sadness dimming his eyes.

"Professor, it's for the best, for them and for me." The boy murmured, glaring at the opposite wall.

"I disagree Harry, but will wait until you're ready to tell the Potters," Dumbledore nodded his head slightly before staring at him thoughtfully, "Will you share your stay at the Dark Lord's with me?"

Harry's face closed off and he turned away from the headmaster slightly, "There really isn't that much to share. I sat in a bedroom for days after Voldemort informed me he was my grandfather. I suppose he would have eventually found a use for me in a few more weeks. Instead I was stunned and left in a hallway by someone to be picked up by that woman," here he nodded his head at Dorcas who was lying three beds down, "then we portkeyed to a clearing where a mad auror attacked me before we found our way here."

Something in the boy's tone urged Dumbledore not to pursue the topic, so he simply nodded his acceptance before standing.

"A day will come when you realize that it does not matter what one is born, but rather what one grows to be." The old wizard said, before sedately walking out of the hospital wing.

Harry's eyes followed him the whole way until he disappeared from sight. With a sigh Harry leaned back into his pillows, and with a slight smirk on his face fell into some much deserved sleep.

&

He was awoken by someone running their hand through his hair. Cracking his eyes open he looked to his right. Standing there was his grandmother with a soft smile on her face, "Good afternoon sleepy head."

"Mmph" Harry replied before yawning widely.

Once he had settled down a bit he glanced to the window, thankful that the curtains had been drawn, "Don't suppose my waking comes with a breakfast too?"

She smiled lightly, "Of course it does. We were just waiting for you to wake up before we all headed down to the kitchens."

"We?" Harry questioned.

She moved to the left, revealing a seated James.

"'lo James."

The older boy nodded his greeting back.

Harry gave the Hospital Wing a cursory glance, noting that Dorcas Meadowes was already gone. He knew that healing broken ribs took longer than eight or nine hours so she should still be here.

He turned back to Mary, "You mean I am free from this place?"

Mary smiled at the hope and longing in his voice.

"Yes, Poppy said there wasn't anything physically wrong with you, but if you'd like to stay-"

She was interrupted as Harry quickly threw the sheets back and scampered out of the bed, "Where are my clothes?"

&

"I'm telling you Albus, the boy was glowing with golden light and the spells were just absorbed as they hit him. I've never seen anything like it. There wasn't a mark on him." Dorcas said with a light wheeze.

Dumbledore gave her another look, clearly asking, 'should you really be out of bed?', but she waved it aside continuing on, "I have no idea as to how he dealt with the Death Eater. After the light show I passed out and the next thing I remembered was awaking to Poppy's tender mercies."

"Would you please provide me a memory of the event?" Albus asked, and after she nodded, stood and retrieved his pensieve.

Once the memory had been placed in the stone basin Dumbledore turned back to his friend, "Dorcas, please at least go home and rest. Those ribs will take time to heal."

"You worry too much Albus. My ribs are absolutely-," she was cut off by another wheeze, "fine."

The headmaster shot her a disbelieving look mixed with worry.

"Fine! If you insist I'll take tomorrow off and rest."

Albus' eyes regained some of their twinkle, "Then I must insist."

"You are a meddlesome old man." Dorcas muttered, just loud enough for the said man to catch.

"As I've been told on many occasions." Dumbledore smiled serenely.

Dorcas rolled her eyes, "I suppose you asked Alastor for a memory as well?"

The headmaster smiled pleasantly, "Of course."

"Make me a copy." The woman replied with a smirk as she stood from her chair, "I can't wait to see the old dog manhandled by an eleven-year-old."

&

As the sun sunk low in the sky, the last rays of light shone brightly through the windows in the headmaster's office, casting shadows in the room. The light played on Dumbledore's face, making him look older than before, as the shadows lengthened hiding his usually twinkling blue eyes. With one last glance around the man plunged into the memory.

He landed gracefully on his feet in the large disused bedroom as Dorcas made her way to the door, pressing her ear against it to listen for movement. He studied the room in mild curiosity. Walking forward he perused the pictures, many of which were of the same man, at different stages of his life. The last one seemed to be taken when the man was in his forties, he and an older woman were sitting in some sort of old style car, smiling slightly at the camera.

"Tom Riddle Sr." He muttered to himself. The resemblance was glaringly obvious to both Tom Riddle Jr. and Harry Potter, if you knew what to look for in the latter. The man was dashingly handsome, with smooth brown hair, combed to the side neatly, high cheek bones, a thin nose and a tall muscular stature. He supposed one of the only physical traits Tom had inherited from the Gaunts had been the black hair and dark eyes. Riddle Jr. looked like a darker version of his muggle father, with few traces of his witch mother.

He moved around the room, studying it intently as Meadowes cast charms on herself. He ran a finger along the dresser, not leaving a trail in the dust, his eyes pursuing the content of the jewelry box and music box. None of the lockets, rings or broaches caught his eye, all seemed glaringly normal.

He turned around as he heard the door open, even under the disillusionment charm he could clearly see the woman. He sedately followed her out of the room, walking as he normally did. If she moved too far ahead the scene would pause until he caught up.

As she paused at the end of the hallway and looked around the corner, a paper airplane appeared out of the air, and jabbed her in the side of the head lightly.

Albus picked up his pace and was by her side as she opened the letter. He quickly scanned through it and then committed its content to memory. Now the boy's reluctance to speak of his capture made more sense, he may have been forced to do terrible things under the Imperius Curse. He'd have to have a talk with the boy later and assure him that anything done under the curse's effect was not the boy's fault. Dumbledore knew just how cruel Tom Riddle could be when he wanted something, and it now seemed as if he had attempted to break the boy's spirit, perhaps to sway him to his cause.

Interested, he watched as the letter crumbled to ash, before she dropped the pile of ash and the ash scattered on the floor. Well, that explained the first letter he received. It was a pity that a pensieve only allowed you to view a memory and not actually cast spells on objects to study. He would have to wait for Thanatos' next airplane letter to examine it for that unknown spell.

Once again, he sedately walked forward after Dorcas, easily keeping track of her as he took in the surroundings, looking for weaknesses that could be advantageous in the future.

"Who's there?"

The sharp demand brought his attention back down the hall and to his companion.

Harry Potter stood, his face cold and eyes hard as he stared at the spot where Dorcas stood. Albus frowned as the boy's expression reminded him of another boy's who had long since grown up. Could the boy actually see Dorcas, or had he simply heard her?

Dorcas let the charm drop and reappeared.

"Don't move or I will curse you." Disdain and detestation dripped from the voice.

Albus moved swiftly forward and examined the boy. The wand was held steady, and there was a cold glint in the green eyes, but nowhere nearly as cold as what Dumbledore had seen once before. The cut on the boy's cheek was still new, and the bruising still showed on his temple.

"You do not have to fear me. I'm here to rescue you. Your family sent me."

Harry's eyes narrowed and his grip tightened, causing his knuckles to turn white. Tension showed on the boy's face and he demanded sharply, "Prove it!"

Dumbledore closed his eyes in memory, as the demand resonated with the voice of another boy making the same demand.

"Show me your arm." The demand was equally as cold and biting.

Albus' eyes snapped open and he regarded the boy curiously, not many knew that the Death Eaters were marked, but if any boy should know it, it would be this one.

Harry seemed to deflate slightly when the arm was shown to be unmarked, "My family really sent you?"

He frowned slightly at the question; did the boy still doubt that the Potters cared for him?

"Yes. Come we must get out of here quickly." Dorcas said as she raised her wand. He frowned along with her sadly, as Harry flinched back.

"I'm not going to harm you. I just need to make us invisible. Here, hold my hand so I won't lose you." Dumbledore glanced around the hallway as Harry took the offered hand.

"Try not to make a sound, and don't let go of my hand, ok?" Dorcas asked.

"Yes, but don't you think-"

Albus didn't jump as the loud boom rocked the hallway cutting the boy off.

"Come."

He quickly followed them this time, wishing to observe the both of them. They quickly came to the stairwell that, as Dorcas said, wasn't supposed to be there. The troubling thing was how had Thanatos known about the addition that was missing from the blueprints? How did he know what to warn Dorcas about?

Albus felt a slight chill go down his spin. Was it possible that someone was spying on him? How else would Thanatos know? But it wasn't possible…Fawkes or one of the portraits would have seen someone bug his office, even if they managed to get past the office's defenses, which was doubtful. He'd have to check his office once he got back.

"Come on."

Once again he was following the disillusioned pair up the stairs and onto another unused hallway. Even if he hadn't been able to see through the charm he would have easily spotted them, as they left an obvious trail in the dust on the hardwood floors. He waited outside the room as Dorcas said that the Death Eater had blasted his way through the door before attacking them. Perhaps thirty seconds later a large cloaked man approached the door quietly, following the footsteps. Unfortunately, the man's face was totally obscured from sight. With a slight snarl the man blasted the door apart before jumping through, throwing spells as he went.

Albus, with icy eyes, followed slightly behind the man. The man jumped back and nearly went through his unseen observer as he dodged a curse. Standing straighter the Death Eater threw off a number of curses at young Harry. Dumbledore's face frosted over in anger at the severity and deadliness of the curses.

At first, when the curses hit the boy, nothing appeared to happen, but slowly the boy began to glow until he was gleaming brightly.

The Death Eater paused in shock. Harry's face was set in anger and annoyance. A red light shot out of the boy's wand and hit the man dead in the chest, blasting him off his feet and back into the wall.

Albus blinked in surprise at both the strength and the ferocity of the spell. Where had the boy learned the bone crushing hex? And wordlessly too! He looked on as Harry smirked, eyes flashing, and nostrils flaring slightly, while he waved his wand and a piece a paper appeared on the Death Eater's chest. Dumbledore moved forward and crouched in front of the Death Eater, looking at the paper. As the memory began to dim he stared in surprise at the sketch…a lion devouring a snake.

The memory ended and Albus found himself back in his office. The sun had already disappeared, and the moon could be seen rising in the eastern sky. With a flick of his wand, the wall lamps lit and a soft glow enveloped the room. He was troubled by many things that he had seen in the memory, but those worries were cut off as a voice drifted through his head. _I'm telling you Albus, the boy was glowing with golden light and the spells were just absorbed as they hit him. I've never seen anything like it. There wasn't a mark on him._

Marked…light?

Dumbledore sat up straight in his chair, his head spinning as words and images flashed through his mind.

_The lion of the earth has been born again,_

_Snake beware for revenge doth he take._

The sketch of the lion devouring the snake flashed in his vision.

_Blood of the father and mother bend_

_Serpent and King unite in kith and kin._

'The Serpent—Voldemort, and the Lion—Cassandra? Slytherin's and Gryffindor's lines verging as one?'

_The fight already won begins anew_

'Perhaps an old reference to the fight between Salazar and Godric?'

_With reprisal from the savior and By the One, _

'Was this savior and One not one and the same?'

_Death of the fiend be pursued._

'Harry was going to try and kill his own grandfather…'

_Born to those now dead_

'His parents were both dead, one by murder and the other by his own birth.'

_Raised by those no longer_

'His godparents raised him and they too are dead.'

_He shall bring early justice_

_Before it's time, to the land of his kin._

'Justice before it's time? How was that possible? But the boy would succeed.'

_Granted by Fate, chosen by gods_

_He will create a new age of wit._

'Well that did sound promising, an age of peace.'

_The lion has come! Look for the one_

_Born of snake and marked by light!"_

"Marked by light." Dumbledore breathed quietly, "Oh my poor dear boy."

He placed his head in his hands, "What have they done? You are but a child. What have they done!"


	26. Deceiving Words

**Chapter 26**

**Deceiving Words**

Harry stared up at the maroon canopy, shadows playing over his face as the moonlight fell through the window. He could feel James' gaze on him, as he had for the last five minutes. The two were in James' bedroom at Hogwarts, Harry in Sirius' bed and James in his own. The older boy had been extremely quiet throughout the day and seemed to ignore the younger boy.

"What is it James?" Harry finally asked, turning his head to gaze at his father.

The boy stared unblinkingly back, "I'm sorry."

Confusion showed on Harry's face.

"For what?"

James rolled over on his side and hugged a pillow tightly to his chest, "For not stopping him. You were right beside me. I could have reached out and stopped him somehow…"

"James-"

"No Harry," the boy interrupted, upset, "don't say it wasn't my fault. I could have done something, anything! You are my little brother, and I'm supposed to protect you. You aren't supposed to be the one getting hurt!"

Harry sat up in bed, and turned to face James completely, legs thrown over the side of the bed and elbows on knees, "I'll say it whether you believe it or not. It wasn't your fault, no more than any other person on the platform."

"You don't understand-"

The younger boy let a scowl come over his face, "What don't I understand? That you feel guilty? That you feel you should have been able to do _something_ to stop what happened? Tell me James because I understand all too well."

"You can't-" the older boy began only to be cut off again.

"Why can't I? You don't think that I dwell on the past either?" Harry demanded sharply before taking on a tone dripping with sarcasm and a touch of self-loathing, "If only I had been strong enough to save them. If I had been quicker, faster, smarter, stronger…maybe they wouldn't have died. Why them and not me? Why James?"

"There was nothing you could do!" James said loudly, his face shocked.

"If not _me,_ then who?" Harry demanded, leaning forward until he was nearly in the older boy's face.

"You were just a child! There was nothing you could do then."

"If not then, when? When would I be able to save them? When would I be able to act when it mattered?" Harry provoked the older boy, "Tell me because I want to know. Tell me what I could have done that would have saved them! Tell me James, I need to hear it from you-"

"_Nothing_!" James finally broke in, his face distraught, "There was nothing you could do! Merlin, there was nothing you could do…how can you believe it was your fault?"

"How can you believe it was your fault?" Harry parroted back at him, his gaze firm, "Tell me James."

"I-" the boy trailed off, before shutting his eyes, "that's different."

"I see no difference."

"It is." James said firmly before letting out a long sigh and opening his eyes again, "Why is it always you? Why does everything bad always seem to be drawn to you Harry? It's not fair…"

Harry gave the older boy a sad look, studying him intently. The boy was fourteen, old enough to learn some of the horrors of the world. Maybe his father would mature faster this time around once he was confronted with the knowledge that the world is not a fair place.

"James, the world is not fair _or_ just _or_ logical. When bad things happen to you, you don't sit around and question why me? No, you should ask yourself why _not_ me? Why should it rain on others and not on me? The world is not fair; it rains on the just as well as the unjust, and yet there can be profit in the rain."

"I don't understand," James admitted quietly, "how can the world be so…so _cruel_?"

"Because it's full of people James, and the first rule to know about people is they are instinctively selfish."

"Isn't that a pessimistic way to look at people?" The older boy asked with a sigh.

"No, it's the truth. Take babies for example-"

"You aren't implying that babies are selfish!" James exclaimed in disbelief.

"Of course they are," Harry said with a light snort, "They cry and scream, demanding to be attended to. Every want and need is screamed until answered, they care for nothing else besides what they want. They have no concept of love, others' needs, sharing, goodness…all the traits that describes the goodness of humanity they lack, and yet they hold a trait both revered and reviled by the rest of us…innocence. We love and care for them because we see in them hope for a better future. _They_ can accomplish what we could not. They are everything and yet nothing at the same time. They only know our basic human emotions and instincts. When you look at a baby you are seeing the very soul of all humans, James. That is why we love them. We see the very deepest part of ourselves in them."

"How does this relate to the world?"

"Because James, babies grow up to be people." Harry said with a sigh, "Children, more than anything, are imitators. They act and behave in the way they are taught. To learn something you must first be shown it, and that is what is wrong with the world. Humanity is something that must be taught, and not everyone teaches it. They aren't taught that all people have feelings and rights, all they hear is that little voice screaming me, me, me, and ignore all else. Why should they care what happens as long as that voice is content?"

"Because it's wrong!"

"The world is full of wrongness James, but what are you going to do about it? Are you going to be the one to show that person kindness, offer the hand of friendship, encourage them to do the right thing? Or are you going to show them exactly what that screaming baby inside is insisting? It's all about me, me, me, and _you_ do not matter?"

James looked as if he had been smacked, "You think that I believe everything is about me?" The voice shook slightly as if in disbelief and anger.

Harry stared intently at the older boy, "No. I can see the goodness in you, but the baby will always be present. It's not to me that you need to show kindness but to others. It's not enough to show your goodness to those you care about James, but to those who have never known kindness as well. That's the test of your humanity."

James looked uncomfortable before diverting the subject, "That still doesn't explain why everything happens to you?"

The younger boy sighed before lying back on his bed, "Because it hasn't killed me yet," he rolled over on his side, "go to bed James."

Silence reigned for a moment before a hesitant voice asked, "You do forgive me?"

Harry let out a slight sigh, "I forgive even the sinless James. Don't let it weigh on your mind."

"He didn't hurt you, did he?" James timidly asked.

The younger boy paused for a moment considering. "No, not this time."

&

The following morning Harry and the Potters ate breakfast in the kitchens once again. Harry was mildly curious as why they weren't eating breakfast in the Great Hall, but figured the Potters wanted to keep their presence here quiet. After breakfast Harold and Mary led James and Harry back to the common room with firm instructions to stay there until one of them came and retrieved them. Once the pair left, the two boys simply stared at one another before taking a seat in front of the fireplace.

"You wouldn't happen to have my trunk would you?" Harry finally asked, breaking the slightly awkward silence.

James shook his head, "Nope. I have no idea where it is. Cards?"

Harry nodded his head, might as have a little male bonding time before he got his trunk back.

&

"Blasted bird! You could at least tell me why you are burning my socks." Dumbledore grumbled, tottering about in his office, replacing a large, heavy text on a bookshelf. "That last pair was a gift from Nicholas for my last birthday. Where else am I supposed to find socks with Snorklackamers on them?" He continued, shoving the book on the shelf before scanning the titles for the reference book he needed. He paused in his search to throw the bird a look.

Fawkes preened his feathers before glaring back.

The two glared at each other for another moment before Albus let out an impatient huff and started scanning the title again, "Fine, keep your silence ruddy bird. I for one do not care."

The phoenix let out a disbelieving huff before flaming away.

He pulled the book he was looking for from the shelf and carried it back to his desk. Dropping it with a loud thud he sat down in his chair. He was about to open the book when there was a knock at the door.

"Come in."

The door opened and the Potter couple walked in.

"Ah, good morning, Harold and Mary. Lemon drop?" Albus asked as he pushed the book to the side and laid a stack of papers on top of it.

"No thank you." Mary said, while Harold let out a slightly gruff, "Morning."

"Have a seat. Tea?" Dumbledore continued, before summoning a tray with tea and cakes.

Both Mary and Harold had a seat and thankfully accepting the proffered tea.

"On to business Albus." Harold said before taking a sip.

"Of course. I believe the Fidelius Charm would work best." Dumbledore began only to be interrupted, "Really Albus, is there no other way?"

"My dear, I believe this is the only way. The only way to ensure Harry's and your safety is to control who can gain entrance into your residency."

Mary looked worried while her husband looked thoughtful, "I suppose you'll be our secret keeper, Albus?"

"If that is what you wish. I would actually prefer it. Given that Voldemort is hesitant to attack me." Dumbledore replied looking intently at the pair."

"Of course. I suppose we will have to change our usual summer schedule. Meet the boys at Diagon Alley?" Mary said already planning who they would need to see and let in on the secret.

"What about blood wards Albus? Surely they would be just as safe as the Fidelius." Harold said thoughtfully.

Mary nodded her agreement, "We could expand on the heritage wards already in existence. Key it to only allow entrance to those who have Potter blood. All others would need to be individually keyed in."

"I do believe that the Fidelius would be safer." Dumbledore said lightly.

"You can't key someone out of the Fidelius once you tell them the secret Albus. We can key someone out of the blood wards if we later decide that we need to do so." Harold argued.

"I believe that it would still be unwise to rely only on blood wards." The headmaster answered his eyes grave, and his voice slightly tense.

Mary looked back and forth between her husband and Dumbledore as the air thickened.

"Harold, please listen to me." Albus said softly, "I understand that you believe that blood wards will effectively protect you but I have reason to believe otherwise."

"And Albus what are those reasons?" Harold asked a tad testily.

"I think I'll go check up on the boys." Mary said with a touch of annoyance as she got to her feet, "And leave this to you two."

&

Harry looked up and smiled as his aunt entered the common room, "Aunt Mary. Do you happen to have my trunk?"

She smiled slightly, "Hold on and I'll get it. I suppose you want one of your books?"

The younger boy nodded quickly as the James let out a soft groan.

Harry smiled slightly at the older boy, "You know James, you could be using your two way mirror to talk to Sirius or Peter."

James perked up slightly, "You're right!" He quickly jumped from his seat and bounded up the stairs to his room, causing the younger boy to roll his eyes in amusement.

He sat patiently waiting for his aunt to return, silently rehearsing what he would tell the Dark Lord.

The older woman reentered the room and made her way over to the chairs. She smiled slightly as she ran a hand through his messy locks, "I suppose you will be happy to get your hands back on your mousse?"

"Very much so. I had almost forgotten how untidy it was throughout the day." Harry said with a grin before bringing his hand up and grabbing her hand, pulling it away from his locks, "I'm fine, you know."

Mary's smile faltered slightly and she gave his hand a squeeze, "You are very strong. But I hope you realize that you don't have to always be."

"I know that everyone can't always be strong, but you don't have to worry. I am fine." Harry gave her another small smile as her eyes watered slightly.

She pulled the smaller boy into a tight hug before releasing him and wiping her eyes, "You are such a good boy Harry. I just want you to know how much I love you."

"Thank you, Aunt Mary." He replied slightly choked up.

She gave him another hug before pulling out a small trunk out of her pocket and handing it to him.

"I'll leave you to your reading," the woman said tearing up again, "I think I'll go and lie down for a bit."

Harry watched her as she turned and quickly made her way back out of the room. With a slight sigh he turned back to the trunk and enlarged it. He pricked his finger before hissing out the password and pressing his finger on the trunk. The compartment on the bottom of the trunk popped open and he quickly retrieved his book from inside.

The small journal was very reminiscent of the one T.M. Riddle had carried all those years ago. He ran his fingers over the black leather cover, his hands lingering on the engraved golden initials H.J.L.P. Leandros…the name often reminded him of just who he really was…the Lion of men, and if he failed then there would be no other heroes. With a slight sigh he cracked opened the journal and skimmed through the first few pages from his worried friends. He'd have to wait until later to answer them. At the last page he came upon the writing that was so familiar to him from his second year.

_**Harry Potter?**_

The perfectly shaped letters sent a slight chill down his spine.

Grabbing a pen he took a deep breath before penning back.

_Grandfather._

&

He sat in a green lined velvet chair. His fingers tapping on the armchair, as he regarded the twitching lump of flesh in front of him.

"Judgeson, tell me why I should spare you the same fate as your fellow?" The question was practically hissed as he slowly dragged his eyes away from the fallen Death Eater and onto the named man.

The robed man shook slightly, "My Lord, I assure you that I am using every available source to discover how the boy was taken."

"If you have made use of every source then why have you not discovered it yet? Or do you need incentive to try harder?" Voldemort stood from his chair and walked over to the downed man. With a nudge of his foot he kicked the man over, showing his face. Blood poured from the man's nose and a gash ran across his face, disfiguring it terribly.

"Such a pity." Riddle said coldly before looking down his nose at Judgeson, "Tell me why it is such a pity."

"I-my lord?" The man stuttered unsurely.

Riddle snarled slightly, "Tell me why this man's loss is a pity to me."

Silence ensured while the man shook, "There was no loss, my lord. He failed you."

"Correct. He failed me and I do not suffer failures." Voldemort's cold eyes bore down on the quaking follower, "Remember this and do _not_ fail me. Find out how and who. Do you understand me?"

"Yes my lord." The man bowed again.

"Fail me and I will make Roger's untimely departure look like a peaceful passing." Riddle hissed before turning back to the twitching body, "Dispose of this filth on your way out."

Judgeson quickly levitated the bloody figure before shooting cleaning charms at the blood-spattered ground.

Riddle's cold eyes watched the man leave before he walked over to a table, his fingers trailing across the book that had been found in his grandson's room. It would seem that he had meant the book for one of his school friends. He snorted slightly in disgusted amusement. Even without the letter detailing how to use the book he would have known that it was for some girl. The pink was an obvious give away. Luckily, he knew a simple color spell that worked on leather. The journal was now pitch-black with a silver serpent on the front. The serpent was wrapped around a dagger, with bared fangs and poised to strike.

Voldemort gave a slight smile. The journal was an excellent piece of charms work, work he would not have been able to match until at least his third year. His smiled wavered slightly as he thought of his own diary that he had made. It was just one more assurance that the boy was his grandson. The pure brilliance was reminiscent of his own thought processes, and the details were perfectly done.

Riddle snarled in disgust. Could this feeling be parental pride? Surely not! The emotion he felt was not in any way parental.

He couldn't explain the boy away. He felt something, something that he hadn't felt before and could not put his finger on. When he had ordered his follower to bring the boy to him he had fully intended on discovering the mystery and then killing the brat. Cassandra had betrayed him and fled! He had never suspected the she had been with child. But when he saw the boy with his very own eyes something seemed to stir in him, and stayed his homicidal urge. This puzzling tug stayed his hand and he had sent the boy away until he could think about what it all could mean. Every time he had been in the boy's presence something in his very being wanted to reach out and do….what he was not sure. Hold? Comfort? It was beyond ridiculous.

When he had found out that his grandson had been snatched, he had been enraged and sent his followers after the kidnappers. There was something missing, almost as if the boy was a part of him...it was a frightening and sickening possibility.

Rogers had returned with the sketch and the news that Hams was dead. In his fit of rage he slowly tortured the bearer until the man was barely recognizable. Taking out all the frustrations, fear and loathing he felt out on the screaming man. With every cry of pain and plead of mercy his blood had pumped through his veins easing his fear and giving him a surge of pleasure. The blood that had splattered the floor was both enthralling and repulsive, drawing him in and then repulsing him at how unclean it was. He had only halted when Judgeson had entered with the journal. Ah, the journal.

Once again Riddle ran his fingers over the book in fascination. It was so beautiful and yet so simple in its brilliance.

He had ordered the man to find out who had kidnapped the boy, before taking the book and examining it closely. The note had explained all the details he needed to make the book work and he had quickly penned the boy's names, slightly disappointed when the response was not instant. He however, knew that it may be days before the boy could answer back. Instead he studied the sketch in intense loathing. The boy was surely taken by an Order member, a brash one at that, to leave behind such an obviously threatening sketch. When he got his hands on that person they would beg and plead with him to stop the pain.

A slow, dark smile spread over his face at the thought. He looked down in surprise and slight happiness when the journal shuddered under his hand and grew warm. He quickly opened the book eager to know what had happened.

_Grandfather?_

&

Harry stared in apprehension at the book, waiting for the reply. A large part of his plan rested on the fact that Voldemort believed his escape was not voluntary.

_**Harry.**_ _**I take it you are well and alone?**_

Grinning slightly he wrote back.

_Perfectly fine, and perfectly alone. They think I am revising for next year. _

_**Good. How is it that you were taken?**_

_I was sleeping in my room when the door opened. Of course it woke me, but I believed it was just another Death Eater you sent for me. Whoever it really was wore your followers' robes and a mask. The man told me to get dressed and while I had my back turned he attempted to stun me. Luckily I was able to evade and throw some hexes back at him, but I tripped over one of the chairs and was hit with a stunner. The next thing I knew was waking up in the Hogwarts infirmary. _

A long pause followed the statement before Riddle handwriting reappeared.

_**Your attacker wore the robes of my followers? You are absolutely sure?**_

Without waiting to think Harry quickly penned back.

_Absolutely. When I asked Dumbledore who the man was he simply patted me on the head gave a mysterious smile and said, 'It is good to have friends in all sort of places, my boy. Do not turn your back on a helping hand simply because that hand has made past mistakes'. I'm sure he was implying that the man really was one of your Death Eaters. _

_**And how has Dumbledore taken your return?**_

_The stupid old man believed every lie I fed him. He welcomed me back with open arms…_Harry trailed off, pausing for a moment before continuing, _When he asked about the ordeal I told him I was kept in a room until you were ready to use me for some unknown reason. _

_**And why would you do such a thing?**_

Harry smirked widely as he continued, _I'm sorry grandfather. I know that you want to train me, but my revenge must come first. Telling Dumbledore that you wanted me for some purpose ensured that he would keep me even closer to him than before. Exactly where I must be._

_**You are not ready!**_ Came the angered reply, the hand writing slightly less perfectly than before.

_I am ready. Like I said, I do not need to be skilled to take the man down; I simply need to be close to him. Surely, you could send me a book or get an older Slytherin student to teach me if you believe it is necessary?_

Another short pause followed his statement.

_**I will consider it.**_

Harry looked up as the portrait opened once again admitting his uncle.

_I must go. I will speak to you soon._ He quickly scrawled before snapping the book shut with a snap.

His uncle walked over and took a seat near him. A slightly strained silence ensued before the older man spoke, "Doing all right there?"

Harry gave the older man a strange look, "Yes, I'm doing fine. Shouldn't I be?"

The man sent him a searching look, "Is there anything, anything at all that you wish to speak about?"

The boy went slightly stiff as his eyes narrowed and steeled to ice, "What do you mean by that? Should I be telling you something?"

Harold frowned slightly, "I just finished speaking with Albus-"

"What did he tell you?" Harry demanded sharply interrupting his grandfather causing the older man's frown to deepen.

"Next to nothing. That's the problem."

"There's nothing to tell." The boy said coldly.

Harold got up from the chair and knelt in front of Harry, his eyes pleading.

"Please at least talk to someone. It doesn't have to be me or your aunt, but you need to speak to someone about what happened, Harry." Harold whispered intently his face close to the younger boy's.

"Uncle…I assure you that I'm fine. I do not need to speak with anyone. Nothing happened!" Harry protested bitingly.

"This is the second time that Voldemort has kidnapped you. The first time he tortured you for a month and this time you refuse to even talk about it." The older man said scathingly, "Tell me. What could be worst than your first stay that you would not even tell us about it."

It finally dawned on Harry that his grandfather was scared…scared that Harry had experienced something so terrible that he even refused to acknowledge it…scared that he had somehow failed Harry.

Instead of bursting out in anger and speaking as the older man expected, Harry let out a tired sigh before giving his uncle a piercing look.

"Nothing happened that I can't handle, but if you insist that I speak with someone then I will do so."

Harold nodded his head in consent, relief evident as his shoulders sagged slightly, "Who would you prefer?"

Harry fidgeted slightly, "Well, do not take this the wrong way, but I do not wish to speak of it with you or Aunt Mary. I do trust you, but it's just not something I'm comfortable speaking about with family."

The older man nodded his head indicating for the boy to continue.

"And I do not wish to speak with someone who is not already in the know. So other than you and Aunt Mary, that leaves James, Professor Dumbledore, Madam Pomfrey, Mr. Moody, and the mysterious woman." Harry continued seemingly nervous, "I do not wish to be in Pomprey's clutches, James is family, Moody doesn't seem all that balanced, and I doubt the mysterious woman is up for a counseling session. So that leaves Professor Dumbledore. I mean…if he'd be willing." Harry quickly dropped his gaze to the floor intently studying the carpet.

"I think he'd be very willing Harry." Harold said placated. Albus had been the one to suggest that Harry saw someone about his ordeal in the first place.

Harry nodded before looking back down at the book in his hands.

"I'll set it up, shall I?"

Harry nodded his head again, his thoughts already far away.

&Author's Note&

Right I'm heading off back to college so updates will be coming more infrequently as RL picks up. Hopefully I'll update at least weekly but no promises there. Hope you enjoy the update.


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